For every nation, there comes a moment when history calls upon one man to rise above personal ambition and become greater than the power he holds. For South Sudan, that man has been His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
When the full story of South Sudan is written, his name will occupy a significant place in its history.
The Man Who Carried a Nation on His Shoulders
President Salva Kiir did not inherit an established nation. He became one of the central figures in building a country out of the ashes of Africa’s longest civil war. He was in the bush, sharing the hardships of the struggle, when independence seemed like a distant dream.
Following the death of the founding leader, Dr John Garang, it was Salva Kiir who assumed leadership of the movement, held together a grieving and divided liberation struggle and helped steer it towards its historic goal.
In 2011, he presided over the achievement of what generations of South Sudanese had sacrificed their lives for: independence. The national flag, anthem and passport represent the sacrifices made by the liberation generation, of which he remains one of the most prominent figures. That contribution to the country’s history cannot be erased.
Since becoming President, Kiir has navigated South Sudan through some of the most difficult moments in its history. He has presided over the establishment of institutions of a new state, including the Presidency, the national army, the civil service, the central bank and diplomatic missions abroad.
His leadership has also been associated with efforts to develop infrastructure, including road connections linking Juba, Bor and Rumbek, as well as initiatives to revitalise the oil sector, which remains the backbone of the country’s economy.
Through successive peace initiatives and agreements, he has also remained a central figure in efforts to end conflict and restore stability. Despite the challenges that have continued to confront the country, South Sudan has maintained its sovereignty and its place among the community of independent nations.
These are significant chapters in the country’s history, and they deserve recognition even as the nation continues to confront its challenges.
Why His Greatest Legacy Now Demands a Different Kind of Courage
Great leaders are not remembered only for how long they remain in power. They are also remembered for the wisdom, courage and foresight they demonstrate when deciding to hand over leadership.
Your Excellency, you have already secured a place in history as one of the principal architects of South Sudan’s independence. No election can take that distinction away from you, and no political opponent can erase your contribution to the liberation struggle.
However, history also teaches us that leaders who remain in the political arena for too long risk diminishing the very legacies they spent their lives building.
South Sudan now needs a different kind of leadership from you: not necessarily that of a presidential candidate, but that of a national elder and guardian of the country’s future.
We therefore humbly and respectfully appeal to you: Do not participate in the forthcoming elections.
Allow the next generation of leaders to compete for the country’s highest office. Give them an opportunity to present their ideas, debate national issues and seek the mandate of the people while you rise above partisan competition as a unifying national figure.
Rather than being a contestant, become a guarantor of a peaceful democratic transition. Use your experience and influence to help ensure that the elections are free, fair, credible and peaceful.
By taking this historic decision, you would secure three important aspects of your legacy:
1. Preserve Your Honour and Dignity
By voluntarily stepping aside, you would demonstrate that your commitment to South Sudan goes beyond holding public office.
You would have an opportunity to earn the respect of generations of South Sudanese as a founding leader who placed national interests above personal political ambition. The country could also consider appropriate constitutional and legal arrangements to recognise your contribution, protect your dignity and accord you the honour befitting a former Head of State.
2. Build a Legacy That Future Generations Can Emulate
Your name is already part of South Sudan’s independence story. However, choosing to facilitate a peaceful democratic transition would add another important chapter to that history.
Your portrait could remain a symbol of the liberation struggle and the sacrifices made to establish the country. Future generations would learn not only about your role in securing independence but also about your willingness to create space for a new generation of leaders.
A century from now, young South Sudanese could look back at this moment as an example of leadership, restraint and national responsibility.
3. Protect the Achievements of Your Leadership
Stepping aside would give you an opportunity to consolidate the achievements associated with your leadership and help protect them from the uncertainties of prolonged political competition.
By becoming an elder statesman who facilitates a peaceful transfer of power, you would demonstrate that the independence struggle was not simply about replacing foreign rule with local leadership, but also about building a country founded on democratic principles and accountable governance.
Your Excellency, participating in another presidential race carries political risks. Even an electoral victory could be accompanied by disputes, divisions and renewed political tensions.
You risk being remembered primarily through the controversies of electoral politics rather than through your historic contribution to the birth of South Sudan.
That would be an unfortunate outcome, both for your personal legacy and for the country.
A Call to Your Advisers and to All South Sudanese
To the advisers surrounding the President, we appeal to you to advise him with the interests of history and the nation at heart, rather than personal political interests.
Give him honest counsel. Remind him that some of Africa’s most respected leaders earned lasting admiration not simply by the positions they occupied, but by knowing when to leave them.
Nelson Mandela chose not to seek a second presidential term and became a global symbol of democratic leadership. Julius Nyerere also voluntarily left the presidency and remained an influential elder statesman in Tanzania.
Their examples demonstrate that leadership does not end when a person leaves office. In some cases, that is when a leader’s greatest contribution begins.
To the people of South Sudan, particularly the young generation using platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and X, we encourage you to share this message as a call for reflection, not as an act of political opposition.
We are not calling for the rejection or humiliation of our President. Rather, we are appealing to him to rise to an even greater national responsibility: moving from being President to becoming a unifying father figure for all South Sudanese.
Mr President, History Is Calling Again
Your Excellency, you have been part of the journey that brought South Sudan from a liberation struggle to an independent nation.
Now, history presents you with another opportunity: to help move the country from independence to lasting peace, democratic governance and national unity.
You have already played a significant role in the struggle to establish South Sudan. Your next defining contribution could be to demonstrate that the country’s future is greater than any one individual or political party.
Step away from the presidential ballot and give the next generation an opportunity to lead. Help build a tradition in which leadership is transferred peacefully and the interests of the nation come before those of individuals.
South Sudan will remember your contribution to its independence. But by making this historic decision, you could also give future generations another reason to remember you with admiration and respect.
Long live President Salva Kiir Mayardit!
Long live the Republic of South Sudan!
#SouthSudan #SalvaKiir #FatherOfTheNation #Peace #Democracy #TogetherWeCan
The Writer is a Concerned Citizen of South Sudan
