Civil Alliance in South Sudan: President Must Be Physically and Mentally Checked

President Salvs Kiir (Photo Credit: Sudanhorizon)

The “Civil Forces Alliance” in South Sudan has called on the National Legislature to initiate a constitutional assessment of the physical and mental health of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

In a statement issued on Monday and reviewed by Sudanhorizon, the alliance expressed deep concern over what it described as a “rapid deterioration” in President Kiir’s ability to effectively perform his presidential duties over the past five years.

The statement said: “Every time the president travels abroad to participate in diplomatic engagements, the people of South Sudan hold their breath, hoping he will represent the country with dignity and clarity. Unfortunately, many of these appearances have raised serious concerns about his ability to think and speak coherently.”

It added: “We have also observed, with growing concern, clear difficulties in his physical movement during public appearances at international forums, indicating potential mobility challenges.”

The alliance noted that while physical decline is a natural aspect of aging, when it concerns a head of state, physical incapacity or cognitive decline goes beyond personal health and becomes “a matter of national security.”

The group based its demands on the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (2011, as amended), citing Article 98(b), which requires that the president be “of sound mind,” and Article 102(d), which explicitly provides for the vacancy of the presidency in the event of physical incapacity or mental impairment.

It called on the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly to activate the relevant constitutional provisions and direct the national medical commission to form an “independent medical committee” to conduct a comprehensive evaluation, with the results to be made public to ensure transparency and national stability.

The statement cited several incidents as evidence of the president’s declining capacity, including the African Union summit on February 15, 2026, where the alliance described his speech as “disjointed and incoherent,” prompting some leaders to leave the hall while others engaged in side conversations. It also referenced the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on September 9, 2025, where the president reportedly struggled to deliver a coherent speech; the East African Community leadership in November 2023, during which he made multiple verbal slips and had difficulty reading a prepared speech; and the funeral of former Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki in April 2022, where he was unable to deliver his speech himself, and it was read on his behalf while he remained seated.

The alliance warned that the lack of clarity regarding a successor and ambiguity within the revitalized peace agreement on the transfer of power could lead to a “violent power struggle” in the event of a sudden incapacity of the president.

The statement concluded by calling on President Kiir to voluntarily undergo a medical examination in adherence to the constitutional oath he took to respect the law and the constitution, stressing that “the people deserve to know whether their president is physically and mentally capable of fulfilling his responsibilities.”

Source: https://sudanhorizon.com/civil-alliance-in-south-sudan-president-must-be-physically-and-mentally-checked/