South Sudan’s government has strongly refuted swirling rumors that President Salva Kiir Mayardit has died, calling the claims baseless and dangerous. On Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation released a statement on Facebook to “categorically and strongly deny the false and malicious reports circulating on social media claiming that His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit has passed away.”
The 73-year-old president, who has led the country since independence in 2011, became the subject of widespread speculation on social media late Wednesday. False claims of his death began to trend, with one Kenyan politician even taking to X to state he had heard Kiir had “kicked the bucket.”
The Foreign Ministry responded swiftly, asserting that President Kiir “is alive, well, and fully engaging in the service of the nation.” The statement emphasized that the president continues to perform his official duties “with vigor, commitment, sound health and complete fitness.”
Officials condemned what they described as “a deliberate spread of misinformation aimed at creating unnecessary panic, confusion and instability,” suggesting the rumors were the work of those “fabricated by enemies of peace, development, nation building and stability in South Sudan.”
The unfounded reports come at a time of heightened insecurity in the country, raising fears that the disinformation may exacerbate tensions. Clashes have recently erupted between forces loyal to President Kiir and factions aligned with Vice President Riek Machar in several regions.
Political And Economic Uncertainty Continues
The United Nations has issued warnings that South Sudan is at risk of sliding back into full-scale conflict. A 2018 peace deal ended five years of brutal civil war that claimed an estimated 400,000 lives. The agreement established a power-sharing government that placed Machar as one of five vice presidents under Kiir’s presidency.
However, implementation of the peace deal has been slow and fragile. Recent violence threatens to unravel the tenuous unity, and rumors about the president’s well-being only intensify the political uncertainty.
Alongside the political crisis, South Sudan is also grappling with profound economic turmoil. The country remains heavily reliant on oil exports, which provide nearly all of its government revenue and foreign exchange. Damage to vital pipeline infrastructure in 2024 slashed production from 186,000 barrels per day to just 58,000 by the end of the year.
Though analysts project that repairs could fuel a 17% economic rebound in 2025, the outlook remains precarious. The economy is highly vulnerable to global oil price shocks, and chronic underinvestment has left key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing underdeveloped. This overdependence has forced South Sudan to rely heavily on imports for basic goods.
Meanwhile, hyperinflation, reaching a staggering 115% in late 2024, has devastated the currency and consumer purchasing power. The South Sudanese pound has depreciated against the U.S. dollar. Despite intervention attempts by the central bank, the cost of imported essentials like food and fuel continues to skyrocket, putting immense pressure on households.
Youth unemployment is another major concern, with 95% of qualified young people under 30 jobless, despite forming 73% of the total population. This demographic crisis is deepened by severe infrastructure deficits, especially in transportation. Poor road networks hamper both service delivery and market access, restricting broader economic development.
Food insecurity continues to affect 7.1 million people in 2025. Climate shocks, displacement, and limited governmental capacity to respond have worsened the crisis. The state’s dependence on foreign partners in the oil sector, combined with political gridlock, limits its ability to enact structural reforms needed for long-term stability.
While officials have dismissed the false reports about President Kiir’s death, the incident has exposed deeper fears within South Sudan. Without strengthened governance, improved communication, and urgent investment in economic diversification, the country’s fragile peace and development trajectory remains at serious risk.
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