Salva Kiir Mayardit has served as South Sudan’s president since the country’s independence in 2011. South Sudan’s secession from Sudan came on the heels of a long and bloody civil war that resulted in a referendum on independence.
The initial optimism about the new state faded within two years when Kiir fell out with his vice-president, Riek Machar. The resulting civil war displaced some four million people and killed an estimated 388,000 people. With the two warring sides unable to reach agreement, the government postponed elections indefinitely in 2015 amid continuing civil strife.
Kiir and Machar signed a peace agreement in September 2018 between the government and numerous opposition groups. The agreement established a transitional government of national unity and set out a roadmap to peace and stability. While parts of the agreement were implemented – such as the reinstatement of Machar as vice-president – little else has moved.
