President Salva Kiir - The African Mirror

Oct

2023

South Sudan president fires another central bank governor

SOUTH Sudan's President Salva Kiir has sacked central bank governor Johnny Ohisa Damian and other senior finance officials, state television announced, the second time he has removed a central bank chief in just over a year. The announcement made late on Monday did not give a reason why Kiir was removing Damian and appointing James Alic Garang, an advisor to the International Monetary Fund, in his place. Kiir also replaced the central bank's two deputy governors, the head of the government's revenue authority and other senior officials in the finance and trade ministries. Abrupt changes to the leadership of the…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Explainer: Why has peace eluded South Sudan?

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

AARON ROSS AMONG the more ambitious hopes for Pope Francis' visit to South Sudan, this week is that it will give a jolt to a peace process aimed at ending a decade of conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition forces that back First Vice President Riek Machar signed a deal in 2018 that committed the two sides to share power and forming a unified national military. But implementation of that agreement has been slow and violence between rival communities has continued to flare up. Here are details about…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

Pope’s Africa visit: Sudan’s displaced hope for peace

NEWS

WAAKHE SIMON WUDU AFTER spending nearly a decade in a camp for the displaced in South Sudan's Juba, Mayen Galuak hopes that Pope Francis' visit to the capital city next week will inspire political leaders to finally restore peace, allowing him to go home. The 44-year-old entered the United Nations camp, just a few kilometres from his residence, in search of safety three days after conflict broke out in 2013. In the ensuing years, he has watched as South Sudan's leaders forged peace deals and broke them; as militias carried out and denied ethnic massacres; and as relentless conflict pushed…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

Journalists detained over footage showing President’s incontinence

NEWS

SIX journalists in South Sudan have been detained over the circulation of footage showing President Salva Kiir appearing to wet himself at an official event, the national journalists union said. The footage from December showed a dark stain spread down the 71-year-old president's grey trousers as he stood for the national anthem at a road commissioning event. The video never aired on television but subsequently circulated on social media. The journalists, who work with the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, were detained on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Patrick Oyet, president of the South Sudan Union of Journalists. They “are suspected…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

Trade Boost: South Sudan, Sudan to re-open border

NEWS

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD Sudan and South Sudan will reopen their borders on October 1 for the first time in 11 years, in a deal expected to re-calibrate trade between the two states and usher in a new diplomatic dawn for the erstwhile foes. Sudan's reformist Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and South Sudan President Salva Kiir said in a joint statement last week that their borders will be opened at four crossings to allow free movement of goods and people. These are Buram–Timsah in Western Behr El Ghazal state, Meram—Wanjok in Northern Behr El Ghazal State, Jebelain Renk in Upper Nile…