Salva Kiir Mayardit Salva Kiir Mayardit ( born 13 September 1951 ) is a South Sudanese politician who has been President of South Sudan since its independence in 2011 . Prior to independence , he was President of the Government of Southern Sudan , as well as First Vice President of Sudan , from 2005 to 2011 . Sudanese civil wars . In the late 1960s , Kiir joined the Anyanya in the First Sudanese Civil War . By the time of the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement , he was a low - ranking officer . In 1983 , when Dr John Garang joined an army mutiny he had been sent to put down , Kiir and other Southern leaders joined the rebel Sudan People ' s Liberation Movement ( SPLM ) in the second civil war . Dr Garang De Mabior had advance military knowledge and experience from both the United States and the Sudan . President Kiir was his Deputy . Kiir eventually rose to head the SPLA , the SPLM ' s military wing when Dr . John Garang was killed in an helicopter crash . Rumours to remove Kiir from his post as SPLA Chief of Staff in 2004 nearly caused the organization to split . South Sudanese politics . Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement formally ending the war in January 2005 , Dr John Garang was Sworn in the Vice President of the Republic of Sudan . After the death of Dr John Garang in a helicopter crash on 30 July 2005 , Kiir was chosen to succeed to the post of First Vice President of Sudan and President of Southern Sudan . Before independent , Kiir was popular among the military wing of the SPLA / M for his loyalty to the vision of the SPLA / M throughout the liberation struggle and among those who do not trust the successive governments that have come and go in the Sudan . Comments by Kiir in October 2009 that the forthcoming independence referendum was a choice between being " a second class in your own country " or " a free person in your independent state " were expected to further strain political tensions . Reports in January 2010 that Kiir would not contest April elections for Sudanese president , but would focus on re - election as president of Southern Sudan were interpreted to mean that the SPLM priority is independence . Kiir was re - elected with 93 % of the vote in the 2010 Sudanese election . Although the vote on both the national and sub - national level was criticized by democratic activists and international observers , the overwhelming margin of Kiir ' s re - election was noted by some media as being " Step One " in the process of secession . Following his re - election , Omar al - Bashir reappointed Kiir as the First Vice President of Sudan in accordance with the interim constitution . Presidency . South Sudanese voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence from Sudan in January 2011 , with 98 . 83 % of voters reportedly preferring to split from the North . On 9 July 2011 , South Sudan became an independent state , with Kiir as its first president . 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 injustices at the hands of the northern Sudanese over the preceding decades and announce a general amnesty for South Sudanese groups that had warred against the SPLM in the past . A few weeks later , he publicly addressed members of the military and police to warn them that rape , torture , and other human rights violations carried out by armed personnel would be considered criminal acts and prosecuted aggressively by the Ministry of Justice . Domestic policy . 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 appear 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 . He also dissmised Taban Deng Gai as Governor of Unity State . Foreign policy . 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 December 20 , 2011 , Kiir visited Israel to thank it for its support during the First Sudanese Civil War in 1956 – 1972 , 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 . On 26 March 2012 , South Sudanese army attacked the Heglig oilfield , located in the Sudanese state of South Kordofan , triggering the Heglig Crisis . On 27 September , Kiir met Sudanese President Omar al - Bashir and signed eight agreements in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , which led the way to resume important oil exports and create a six - mile demilitarised zone along their border . The agreements allows for the return of 350 , 000 barrels of South Sudanese oil to the world market . In addition , the agreements include an understanding on the parameters to follow in regards to demarcating their border , an economic cooperation agreement and a deal to protect each other ' s citizens . Certain issues remain unsolved and future talks are scheduled to resolve them . On 25 November 2012 , South Sudan launched a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council ( UNSC ) against Sudan in the wake of aerial bombings carried out by Sudan Armed Forces ( SAF ) in parts of South Sudan ' s Northern Bahr el Ghazal state , killing at least eight people and injuring an equal number . South Sudan treated the attack as a gross violation of the cooperation agreement the two country ' s leaders signed in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia on 27 September . Political Program . In his speech at the 2nd anniversary of South Sudan ’ s Independence on 9 July 2013 Kiir outlined a broad program of reforms called to rebuild South Sudan after the decades of its independence war against the North . Kiir ’ s program includes building transportation infrastructure , in particular - alternative routes for oil exports via Uganda , Kenya and Ethiopia which will end South ’ s dependence on the only present route going through the hostile North ; putting an end to internal tribal hostilities ; drastically improving population ’ s access to clean water , health care and schooling ; modernizing agricultural sector ; fighting gender inequality and corruption .