The son of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is now in a new role. He is the head of the presidential guard.
It is the military unit responsible for protecting the president and the presidency.
Major General Atem Salva Kiir formally assumed command of the elite unit known as the Tiger Division on 11 September, three days after his appointment.
He vowed to strengthen discipline within the unit, saying he remains “committed to professionalism, unity, and service” to South Sudan.
The 36-year-old officer, who joined the military in 2012, was recently promoted to major general from brigadier general.
Before the latest appointment, Atem served as commander of the Special Force within the Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service (NSS).
President Kiir’s other children also hold positions in government, with Thiik Kiir Mayardit and Mayar Kiir Mayardit serving as diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Adut Salva Kiir is a senior presidential envoy for special programmes.
Political tensions
However, the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations at the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) told local media that the appointment of General Atem “has nothing to do with him being the president’s son”.
Apart from protecting the president, the presidential guard, which is a unit of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, has also often been deployed for security operations in and around the capital, Juba, amid security and political tensions.
President Salva Kiir has been South Sudan’s president since its independence from Sudan in 2011.
The country has never held a presidential election, with the polls repeatedly postponed due to insecurity, political tensions and logistical challenges.
Kiir’s main rival, Riek Machar, has been in detention on treason charges which he denies. President Kiir suspended him from his role as First Vice-President last year.
The world’s newest country is now expected to hold its first-ever election in December, although many observers are sceptical it might be delayed again.
On Tuesday, President Kiir sacked the head of the election commission, Abednego Akok Kacuol, and appointed the commission’s Secretary-General Gabriel Bol Deng to replace him.
