Background
Salva Kiir Mayardit was born in Akon, Sudan (now South Sudan), on September 13, 1951. He was born into a family that was a part of the ‘Dinka’ ethnicity.
Salva Kiir Mayardit was born in Akon, Sudan (now South Sudan), on September 13, 1951. He was born into a family that was a part of the ‘Dinka’ ethnicity.
Salva Kiir Mayardit is a graduate of the Sudan Military College.
During the first Sudan Civil War, he became a part of the ‘Anya Nya’. The ‘Anya Nya’ was a major southern separatist movement in the fight against the northern government. The civil war raged through the nation from 1955 to 1972.
In 1972, when the fighting ended, he was enlisted into the ‘Sudanese National Army’ and managed to attain the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. When aggressors returned in 1983, several high ranking officers defaulted from the ‘National Army’. This included Kiir and Colonel John Garang de Mabior. He along with Garang formed the ‘SPLM’ and’ SPLA’ - the ‘Sudan People’s Liberation Army and Movement.’ These groups became the key southern rebel group against the northern government faction in 1983.
During his time in the ‘SPLM’ and ‘SPLA,’ he was designated as one of Garang’s topmost deputies. He also became the deputy and commander of the ‘SPLA Council’ and held portfolios for domestic and foreign intelligence and affairs.
In the late 1990s to early 2000s, Kiir was an important conciliator for the ‘SPLA’ and ‘SPLM.’ He handled conciliations between disregarding factions in the ‘SPLA’ and ‘SPLM.’
After the installation of the ‘Comprehensive Peace Agreement’ between the north and south, Garang was named President of the Region and Kiir was the first Vice-President of the Sudanese National Government in July of 2005. A month later, Garang unexpectedly died in a helicopter accident, leaving Kiir to succeed him in both roles.
The 2010 Sudanese elections showed 93% of the South Sudanese people in favor of the re-election of Kiir to his positions. The media began naming this moment ‘Step One’ in the succession of South Sudan.
When the CPA referendum came up for voting, an overwhelming 98.83% of South Sudanese citizens voted for an official succession from Sudan. On the 9th of July in 2011, South Sudan became a fully independent nation with Kiir as the first President of the newly formed nation.
In Mid-December of 2013, a large scale fight broke out in Juba. During this time, Kiir accused Riek Machar, his Vice-President, of staging a coup in an attempt to overthrow him. The coup was unsuccessful, but Machar was removed from the position of Vice-President. Machar publically denied the coup, claiming Kiir stimulated the conflict in order to hide his weakness as a government leader.
He was an important participant in the negotiations between the northern Sudanese government and the Southern rebels. The negotiations ultimately led to the forming of the ‘Comprehensive Peace Agreement’ in 2005 and thus ended Sudan’s second civil war. The ‘CPA’ formed the semiautonomous region of South Sudan.
During South Sudan’s second anniversary of being a fully independent nation, he outlined his reformation plans for the newborn country. These included rebuilding the countryside and designing a transportation infrastructure that would allow them to use substitute routes for oil exports by means of Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia and avoid going through the still hostile north Sudan.
(He was an important participant in the negotiations betwe...)
He is a devout Christian. Unlike what is obtainable in various political leaders, Salva Mayardit is a committed Christian. He does not hide his identity as the Church is one of his major platforms for his public speeches.
His political views are clearly seen in his actions. On 18 June 2013, Kiir issued an order lifting the immunity of two ministers in the national government pending investigations into an alleged corruption case in which they appeared to be implicated. He also issued an order suspending Cabinet Affairs Minister Deng Alor Kuol and Finance Minister Kosti Manibe Ngai from their duties during the entire duration of the probe. In July 2013, Kiir sacked his entire cabinet, including his vice president, Riek Machar, ostensibly to reduce the size of government. However, Machar said that it was a step towards dictatorship and that he would challenge Kiir for the presidency.[12] He also dismissed Taban Deng Gai as Governor of Unity State.
Kiir told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that homosexuality is not in the "character" of Southern Sudanese people. "It is not even something that anybody can talk about here in southern Sudan in particular. It is not there and if anybody wants to import or to export it to Sudan, it will not get the support and it will always be condemned by everybody," he said. He then went on the refer to homosexuality as a "mental disease" and a "bastion of Western immorality"
In mid-October 2011, Kiir announced South Sudan had applied for accession to the East_African_Community. He declared the EAC to be "at the centre of our hearts" due to its members' support of the South during the Sudanese civil wars.
On 20 December 2011, Kiir visited Israel to thank it for its support during the First Sudanese Civil War in 1956–1972,[19] and met with Israeli president Shimon Peres to discuss establishing an embassy in Jerusalem, which would make South Sudan the only country to have one in that city.
After the outbreak of the South Sudanese civil war, Salva Kiir delivered a speech in January 2014 lashing out at the United Nations and “so-called humanitarian organizations,” accusing them of supporting Riek Machar to try to overthrow him. He accused the UN of sheltering his enemies on their bases adding, “There is a problem with the international community, and it is something that people will have to thrash out with them.”
In March 2014, Kiir's government organized a rally accusing the United Nations of colluding with anti-government forces. Protesters carried signs accusing the UN of arming anti-government forces.
Relations between Kiir's government and some erstwhile supporters deteriorated since the start of the civil war. He disclosed in an op-ed published in his name in the Washington Times in October 2015 that unnamed "international partners in peace" had threatened his government with sanctions, the withdrawal of aid support, and referrals to the International Criminal Court
Quotations:
"It is the responsibility of all the Sudanese, especially the political leaders and the media, to strengthen social cohesion through the proper understanding of the dynamics of unity, if they really want our country to remain united."
"Even if we were to sign peace today, the economic conditions in our country would not improve automatically because it will take some time to reach the level of oil production before the war and the oil prices are likely to remain low for some time as the supply of oil in the world is high and demand is low."
"The duty of the media is to observe truth and social responsibility."
Judging from his appearance and looks, one would certainly say that Salva Kiir would be a dictator, but on the contrary, he is kind. This virtue was confirmed when Kiir positioned himself as a reformer, using his inaugural address to call for the South Sudanese people "to Forgive, though we shall not forget" perceived injustice at the hands of Northern Sudanese over the preceding decades and announced a general amnesty for South Sudan groups that had war against the SPLM in the past.
He was given a 10-gallon black Stetson Cowboy hat as a gift by former US President, George Bush during a visit to the White House in 2006. Whether he is on a personal outing or speaking at the ‘United Nations General Assembly,’ he has not been seen without the hat. The hat is now considered his trademark.
Physical Characteristics: He is of the Black race, and has a bald head which is often covered with a hat.
He is married, and has a son and daughter.