JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN — The government of South Sudan has officially refuted online claims regarding the death of President Salva Kiir.
Despite persistent rumors concerning the 73-year-old leader’s health, he has recently been observed engaging with international officials and implementing significant governmental changes.
Notably, President Kiir has taken decisive actions against First Vice-President Riek Machar, his long-standing political adversary, placing him under house arrest and detaining several of his associates.
On Wednesday evening, social media platforms began disseminating reports alleging President Kiir’s passing, with one Kenyan figure stating he had “kicked the bucket.”
In response, South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation released a statement on Thursday, asserting that it “categorically and strongly denies the false and malicious reports circulating on social media claiming that His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit has passed away.”
The ministry described the posts as “entirely baseless and irresponsible rumours fabricated by enemies of peace, development, nation building, and stability.”
This denial coincides with escalating security concerns in South Sudan, as clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar have erupted in multiple regions, raising apprehensions of a resurgence of civil conflict.
