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Africa Subsaharan
South Sudan denies president's death amid rumours
2025-05-16
[PUNCHNG] South Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
's government on Thursday denied that President Salva Kiir had died, following online speculation.

The long-serving 73-year-old leader has long been dogged by rumours of ill health.

But he has been pictured in recent months meeting visiting dignitaries and ordering a series of dramatic government reshuffles.

He has also moved decisively against his long-time rival and the current first vice-president, Riek Machar, placing him under house arrest and detaining several of his allies.

Late Wednesday, reports began emerging on social media, claiming that Kiir had, in the words of one Kenyan personality, ''kicked the bucket.''
"He's pining for the Sudanese fjords"
South Sudan's foreign ministry issued a statement the following day, saying it ''categorically and strongly denies the false and malicious reports circulating on social media claiming that His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit has passed away.''

The posts were ''entirely baseless and irresponsible rumours fabricated by enemies of peace, development, nation building, and stability,'' it added.

It comes as South Sudan faces another bout of insecurity, with festivities between forces aligned with Kiir and Machar breaking out in several areas around the country, raising fears of renewed civil war.
Related:
Salva Kiir 03/19/2025 South Sudan confirms presence of Ugandan troops, citing military pact - Sudan Tribune
Salva Kiir 09/16/2024 UNESCO condemns looting of Sudan National Museum
Salva Kiir 06/17/2024 Security Council President calls for end to Sudan conflict

Related:
Riek Machar 04/05/2024 South Sudan president presses on holding elections as scheduled
Riek Machar 01/30/2024 German FM urges South Sudan leaders to renounce violence
Riek Machar 04/26/2023 S. Sudan holdout groups form alliance to topple Juba regime


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Africa Horn
UNESCO condemns looting of Sudan National Museum
2024-09-16
[SUDANTRIBUNE] UNESCO on Tuesday strongly condemned reports that Sudan's National Museum has been looted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) elements, highlighting a growing threat to the country's cultural heritage amid ongoing conflict.

Last week, Sudanese researchers called on South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit to help recover valuable artefacts looted from the National Museum in Khartoum under the RSF control and taken to South Sudan for sale.

The U.N. cultural agency said it has been closely monitoring the impact of the conflict on Sudan's heritage since it began in April 2023. Recent weeks have seen an alarming escalation, with reports of widespread looting of museums, heritage sites, and archaeological sites.

''UNESCO is particularly concerned by reports of looting at the National Museum of Sudan,'' the agency said in a statement. The museum, which houses important historical artefacts and archaeological collections, has been undergoing restoration coordinated by UNESCO with funding from Italy since 2019.

The agency also condemned reports of looting at the Khalifa House Museum and Nyala Museum, emphasizing that such acts constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law.

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Africa Horn
Sudanese RSF leader pledges safe passage for Abyei and South Sudan returnees
2024-01-08
[SUDANTRIBUNE] General Mohammed Hamdan Daglo "Hemetti", the head of the Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
ese paramilitary group Rapid Support Force (RSF), has reaffirmed his commitment to facilitate the safe return of Abyei natives and South Sudanese nationals who have fled the conflict in Sudan.

The pledge was made during a meeting with Abyei leaders Francis Mading Deng and Luka Biong Deng in Nairobi, Kenya on January 3, 2024. The meeting, which lasted for an hour, was characterized as amicable, open, and forward-looking by Francis Kuol, a former Sudan cabinet affairs minister.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to follow up on previous discussions held in Khartoum regarding the final status of Abyei and the repatriation of Abyei citizens who had sought refuge in Sudan prior to the Sudanese crisis. Francis Deng, who has also engaged in similar discussions with General Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, in New York, USA during his participation to the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
 General Assembly in September 2022, added that he had also held similar dialogues with General Malik Agar, the Deputy Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, during his visits to Juba.

The Abyei leaders expressed their appreciation to Daglo for his endeavours to bring an end to the brutal civil war in Sudan and his historic diplomatic initiatives to neighbouring African countries in pursuit of peace.

The meeting touched upon three critical issues: peace in Sudan, the potential role of South Sudan under the leadership of President Salva Kiir in facilitating Sudanese peace, and the repatriation of Abyei natives displaced and stranded in RSF-controlled areas.

Deng highlighted the pivotal role that South Sudan, under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, could play in mediating Sudanese peace. He emphasized the urgent need to establish secure conditions to enable the return of Abyei citizens displaced by the conflict in Sudan and the crucial role of the RSF in securing transit routes for the return of South Sudanese citizens.

The authorization of the meeting by President Salva Kiir and members of his administration remains unclear. The South Sudanese ambassador in Kenya declined to comment when asked if he had been informed of the arrangement.

Hemetti, heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Force, which has been engaged in a war against the Sudan Armed Forces under the command of its chief and Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, since April 2023.

The RSF has been out of the public eye for several months. He utilized this period to embark on diplomatic missions to neighbouring countries and participate in global events and functions.

In late December 2023, the head of the Sudanese paramilitary group made his first wartime diplomatic trip to Uganda, where he met with President Yoweri Museveni
...President-for-Life of Uganda. He assumed office in 1985. His primary virtue is being prefereable to both his predecessors, Idi Amin and Milton Obote...
. He also met with leaders from Uganda, Æthiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda.

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Africa Subsaharan
Kiir hires brother-in-law deputy chief security
2021-12-05
[SUDANTRIBUNE] South Sudanese President Salva Kiir appointed brother-in-law deputy as the chief security, according to a decree issued on Wednesday.Major General Gregory Deng Kuac, as the new Deputy Director-General of the General Intelligence Bureau of the National Security Service (NSS), announced the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

"In exercise of powers conferred upon me under section 17/1 of the NSS Act 2014, I Salva Kiir Mayardit, president of the Republic of South Sudan and Supreme commander of all the regular forces do hereby issue this republican decree for the appointment of Maj. Gen. Gregory Deng Kuac as Deputy Director-General of the General Intelligence Bureau, NSS with effect from 1 December 2021," read the decree.

Analysts say the move could be a preparation to replace General Akol Koor Kuc, a long-serving director-general of the internal bureau of the national security services.

Maj Gen Kuac served as the governor of the Gogrial State before its dissolution and the reestablishment of the 10-states system in the country.



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Africa Subsaharan
The future of South Sudan lies with the Arabs
2018-03-17
[ARABNEWS] When it emerged last week that the Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
 had refused a membership request by South Sudan ‐ followed by a denial of such an application by a South Sudanese official, who said it had only asked to become an "observer" ‐ I recalled an interview I carried out before secession with Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is now the country’s prime minister.

His mastery of Arabic was not any less than any other Sudanese person. It was a long interview, in which he said that he welcomed any Arab or Moslem in South Sudan, but he spoke as well about the sense of injustice and neglect felt among Southerners toward the people of the North. When I moved on to record a TV interview, Kiir asked to do it in English. I asked him to speak in Arabic, which he speaks fluently, because the interview would be broadcast on Egyptian TV to an Arabic-speaking audience, but he insisted on English.
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Africa Subsaharan
South Sudan: Salva Kiir Declares Ceasefire Agreement With Machar
2016-07-13
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] The President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit declared a ceasefire across the entire country, including the capital Juba which has seen violent and bloody fighting over the past week, up until yesterday. The fighting was between government forces and the army of the former rebel leader Riek Machar, who is now Vice-President. Kiir stressed his government’s commitment to the ceasefire and the implementation of the peace agreement, and called on citizens to remain calm and return to work. Meanwhile,
...back at the precinct house, Don Calamari's lawyer was getting even redder in the face...
 the SPLA’s Chief of General Staff Paul Malong Awan gave his soldiers and the regime’s forces strict instructions to refrain from attacking citizens or their property and warned violators that they would be severely punished in the event that they refused to oblige.

South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei said that President Salva Kiir held a telephone conversation with his Vice-President yesterday and that they discussed the current situation, agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Juba and other parts of the country. He also added that the security situation is stable after the military skirmishes that took place at dawn yesterday near the airport, the United Nations
...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships...
 Mission and in other areas. Makuei said that fighting in Torit, east of the country, has ceased.

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Africa Horn
S.Sudan government and rebels agree ceasefire
2014-01-01
[Al Ahram] The South Sudanese government and rebels loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar have agreed on a ceasefire as they prepare for talks to end violence in the oil producing country, the IGAD group of East African countries said on Tuesday.

"President Salva Kiir Mayardit and Dr. Riek Machar agree on a cessation of hostilities and appoint negotiators to develop a monitored and implemented ceasefire," the bloc statement said.

There were no details on when exactly the ceasefire would take effect. IGAD has been mediating between the two sides.
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Africa Horn
Sudan, South Sudan reach agreement on Abyei, implementation of cooperation deal
2013-01-06
[Xinhua] Sudan and South Sudan on Saturday agreed in Addis Ababa of Æthiopia to implement the items of security agreements and to set up civil institutions for Abyei area, official SUNA news agency reported.

"Sudan and South Sudan have agreed during the summit between the two countries' presidents Omar al-Bashir
Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it.
 and Salva Kiir Mayardit to implement the item of security arrangements by breaking the link between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) of South Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/ northern sector," the agency said in its mobile news service.

"The two sides have also agreed to speed up formation of the civil institutions for the disputed area of Abyei and set timetables for the implementation of the cooperation deal signed by the two countries in September last year," the report added.

Sudan's al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart Kiir have met late Friday in the Æthiopian capital to push for progress in the stalled cooperation deal between the two countries in the presence of Æthiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
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Africa Horn
S. Sudan opens account to recover stolen funds
2012-06-07
[Daily Nation (Kenya)] The South Sudanese Government has opened a bank account in Kenya into which money allegedly looted from public coffers can be returned.

This follows disclosures that about $4 billion had so far disappeared through official corruption.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit has appealed to those involved in the plunder of public resources to voluntarily surrender the money and deposit it into "South Sudan Stolen Funds Recovery Account" at Equity Bank. The account number is 0810299067373.

The anti-corruption commission has so far recovered $60 million, which had been lost in fraudulent deals involving various government institutions.

In a statement signed by the President, the government asked the culprits to return the stolen funds either in full or partially promising them amnesty and confidentiality.

President Kiir said the government had over the past six months taken several specific measures to tackle official corruption.

They include the appointment of a new chairman of the anti-corruption agency and sending out letters to more than 75 former and current bigwigs to recover stolen funds.

Early this year, the government sought the assistance of eight heads of state in Africa, the United States, Middle East and Europe in the recovery of the money.
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Africa Horn
Bashir has no choice but to lose South
2011-01-03
And then send out his hunting dogs to find it again.
[The Nation (Nairobi)] Miracles happen, now and then. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir ought to be among those praying for one: that southern Sudanese don't opt to secede.

A referendum scheduled for January 9 to 15 gives them that option. That's as par the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA, the government, and the rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed.

Contrary to popular opinion, the 2005 CPA ended a longer conflict. Trouble started with a 1948 British decision to place the South and the North under one administration.

Anger mounted after the southerners got peanuts from 800 jobs Britons relinquished during self-rule five years later.

Outright war broke after the North reneged on a federal system at independence in 1956. Then for 10 years, Khartoum sabotaged a 1972 peace deal arrangement. War resumed. Then the CPA came, 21 years later.

The events explain why the southerners are almost certain to secede. Mr Salva Kiir Mayardit, the south's president and national vice-president, is cheering them on. Last week he told them to "dream of our forefathers" come the referendum.

The BBC quoted a resigned Mr Al Bashir telling the southerners Tuesday, "If you want unity, you are more than welcome. . . If you want separation, you are also welcome." He forgot, Inshallah!

If the southerners opt for secession, their leaders are to draft a new constitution and schedule elections. On July 9, the 55th African state will come into being.

Leaders, among them former US President George W. Bush and Kenya's Daniel arap Moi, whose governments played a major role in negotiating the CPA and aren't' that modest, will thump chests. Only the flow of the White Nile will rival that of tears of joy.

That's as far as the euphoria need go. Booby traps lie ahead.

Explosive issues remain pending. These include Abyei, a tiny oil-rich enclave. A referendum to determine if residents wish to remain part of Sudan or join the South will not take place due to disagreements.

Then there's boundary demarcation, security arrangements, liabilities and assets, and citizenship. People have focused a great deal of attention on the South. Seemingly forgotten are changes the North needs.

These include re-arranging the structure of government, including a new constitution. It will lose resources and revenue.

That the shock of losing nearly a third of Sudan might lead to violence against resident southerners can't be ruled out.

The same goes for political instability because "Al Bashir lost southern Sudan." Generals loathe politicians who lose territory.

Resources endowed as it is--oil, fertile soil, minerals, including gold, and lots of water--the South remains, relatively speaking, a wasteland.

Even if well managed, and vices like corruption are taking root, it will take time for the new nation to become viable.

Moreover, the South isn't homogenous. Additionally, 20 political parties aren't a recipe for stability.

Add to that disgruntled former rebels who already have become a headache for the SPLM. Incidentally, uniformed elements in the North have mastered the art of using proxies.

For the southerners and supporters, it's worth remembering the old saying: a deal isn't one until it's done.
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Africa Horn
Southern Sudan to Inaugurate New Prez
2010-05-21
The leader of the Sudan's People Liberation Movement (SPLM), Salva Kiir, is scheduled to be sworn in Friday as the first democratically-elected President of the semi-autonomous southern Sudanese capital, Juba.

General Oyay Deng Ajak, southern Sudan's minster for regional cooperation, said several local and international dignitaries will participate in Mr. Kiir's inauguration. “Today, Friday, this will be first time in history of the people of south Sudan to have a democratically-elected president of the government of southern Sudan to be sworn in, in front of parliament and, of course, you have all the people attending the ceremony. There are lots of international and external dignitaries that have already arrived in Juba,' he said.

Sudan's National Electoral Commission declared Salva Kiir, leader of the SPLM, winner of the presidential election in southern Sudan with over 90 percent of the total vote cast.

General Ajak said the recent election was the first for most southern Sudanese after years of civil war. “For most people in south Sudan, the last election was the first time for them in their life to elect anybody of their choice, and they decided to elect the SPLM candidate in the name of President Salva Kiir Mayardit. So, they are celebrating and people are very excited and they will really want to see that the event takes place very smoothly,' Ajak said.

The election was Sudan's first vote in 24 years after years of civil war between the north and the south. It also forms part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the north and south. The accord effectively ended the civil war.

Analysts say Mr. Kiir will become the first vice president of the entire Sudan forming a north-south national coalition government to be led by President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir.

The unity government is expected to work closely to fully implement the remaining provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). General Ajak said Mr. Kiir wants the CPA implemented fully.

“President Salva Kiir is first committed to the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and, second, to see not only the implementation of the CPA, but the timely implementation of the CPA. That the referendum, which is the final conclusion of the CPA, must take place on time just in six months from now,' Ajak said.

The upcoming referendum in southern Sudan, scheduled for January 2011, will allow residents of the south to decide whether or not to remain a part of Sudan or to secede and become an independent country.
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Africa Horn
Sudanese first VP refutes news about his assassination
2007-09-10
News about my assassination are not true and misleading, said Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Sunday.
"I am not dead!"
He refuted local media news regarding his assassination, saying that these rumors were a hideous attempt to disrupt peace in Sudan.
"Yes, you are! It sez so right here! Now, lay down!"
The Sudanese National Congress party would put an end to these rumors, exclaimed Nayardit, urging all citizens to unite.
"Oh, yeah? Could a dead guy do this?"
Rumors about the First Vice President's assassination led most citizens to take tight precautions fearing that clashes between northern and Southern Sudanese would erupt similar to the August 2005 incidents after the death of former Vice President John Garang in a plane crash.
"Whoa! Now, that's impressive! Lemme see that again!"
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