Current Positions

• President of the Republic of South Sudan (since July 9, 2011)
• Commander-in-Chief of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF)
• Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)

Personal Details

Born: 1952, in Akon, Gogrial County, Warrap State, South Sudan
Marital status: Married, father to eight children
Religion: Christian (Roman Catholic)

Education and Early Military Career

General Salva Kiir Mayardit started his education at Akon Primary School, then continued to Kuajok Secondary School in what’s now Gogrial West County. Afterwards, he enrolled in the Sudan Military College, graduating as a Second Lieutenant in the Sudan Armed Forces—where he not only did well academically but also stood out for his military abilities. He received specialized infantry tactics and military intelligence training, eventually achieving the rank of Captain, and served at several garrisons both in northern and southern Sudan. In recognition of his contributions, he was also awarded an honorary degree by the Republic of Kenya.

Early Liberation Struggle: Anya-Nya Movement (1960s–1972)

At just 17, Salva Kiir joined the Anya-Nya rebellion, the first armed Southern Sudanese resistance against the Khartoum governments. He underwent guerrilla warfare training sometime in the late 1960s, actively participating in numerous campaigns up until the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972, which—for a time—ended the First Sudanese Civil War.

Founding and Leadership of the SPLM/A (From 1983 Onwards)

In the early 1980s, Salva Kiir became one of the original founders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), together with Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Commander Karbino Kuanyin Bol, and Commander William Nyuon Bany. He was part of the very first SPLM/A Military-Political High Command Council formed back in 1983. Salva Kiir led the very first SPLA battalion, famously known as the “Tiger Battalion,” and commanded several major operations across Blue Nile, Upper Nile, Equatoria, and Bahr el Ghazal. Throughout the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005), he was in charge of SPLA training, military intelligence, and organizing the administrative framework across “New Sudan”—the liberated zones. When the SPLM/A split internally in 1991, Kiir stayed loyal to Dr. John Garang, serving as his main deputy. Later, at the first SPLM National Convention in 1994, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the movement.

Role as Peacemaker

General Salva Kiir played a crucial role in diplomacy, paving the way for peace on several fronts:

• Led the SPLM delegation to the Abuja Peace Talks (1992–1993)
• Headed the SPLM team during the IGAD-mediated Kenya peace negotiations (2002–2004), which produced the historic Machakos Protocol granting Southern Sudan the right to self-determination
• Oversaw the Darfur Peace Talks in Abuja, Nigeria, and the Eastern Sudan Peace Talks in Asmara, Eritrea
• Helped unite Darfur rebel groups, giving them a stronger hand at the negotiating table
• Initiated peace efforts between Uganda’s government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
• Brokered the Juba Declaration in 2006, merging other Southern armed groups with the SPLA and cementing unity ahead of the independence referendum

Leadership of the SPLM and Transition to Independence

After the tragic death of Dr. John Garang in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005, Salva Kiir took over as Chairman of the SPLM. He was unanimously re-elected to that role at the Second SPLM National Convention in 2008, and he still leads the SPLM National Liberation Council. Following Dr. Garang’s passing, Kiir also became First Vice-President of the Republic of Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan—under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January 2005. In April 2010, South Sudanese voters overwhelmingly re-elected him as President of Southern Sudan, with 93% support. On January 9, 2011, in the self-determination referendum provided by the CPA, over 99% of South Sudanese voted in favor of secession. South Sudan officially declared independence on July 9, 2011, becoming the newest sovereign nation in the world—and Africa’s 54th.

International Recognition

• July 14, 2011: South Sudan officially admitted as the 193rd member state of the United Nations
• September 23, 2011: President Salva Kiir addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time, pledging South Sudan’s commitment to peace and global cooperation. That same day, he held bilateral meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• South Sudan soon became the 54th member of the African Union, with the South Sudanese flag raised at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa

Legacy

For more than five decades, His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit has dedicated himself to the South Sudanese struggle for liberation and statehood. From a 17-year-old guerrilla in the Anya-Nya movement to a senior SPLA commander, a skilled negotiator helping to end Africa’s longest civil war, and finally the first President of an independent South Sudan—Kiir’s story really embodies the resilience and hope of the South Sudanese people. Under his guidance, the sacrifices of generations were finally realized in the sovereign nation that emerged on July 9, 2011. As the steady leader who helped guide South Sudan out of decades of conflict and marginalization, General Salva Kiir Mayardit still stands at the center of the ongoing effort to build a united, peaceful, and prosperous Republic of South Sudan.

Long live the Republic of South Sudan. Long live the spirit of freedom and self-determination.

Source: Office of the President, Republic of South Sudan (updated December 2025)

Written By: Hon. Joseph Makuer Nyieth, South Sudanese Politician

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