Salva Kiir Mayardit (born 1951) is the President of The Republic of South Sudan.
In the 1960, Kiir had joined the southern rebels in the First Sudanese Civil War. By the time of the peace deal of 1972, he had become an officer in the rebel forces and found a position in the regular army. When John Garang joined an army mutiny that he had been sent to quell in 1983 in Bor, Kiir joined with Garang to found the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), and rose to head its military wing, the SPLA.
Salva Kiir Mayardit has resolved not to stand for the 2010 presidency.
A founding member of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), he was chosen by the SPLA leadership to continue the peace process that formally ended the Second Sudanese Civil War in January 2005. Like Garang, he is of the Dinka tribe, which is the most numerous in the south, but is from a different clan.
Kiir was involved in the early stages of negotiating the peace treaty that ended the civil war and is well-known to northern politicians. His selection by the SPLM leadership to succeed Garang was seen by analysts as a clear signal that they intended to keep the peace process on course, despite Garang's unexpected death. Kiir is speculated to be more in favour of South Sudanese independence, as opposed to autonomy within a federal Sudan, than was Garang. Because of his support for Southern independence he enjoys massive support from the population of Southern Sudan. He was sworn in as a Vice President of the Government of Sudan on 11 August 2005. (source wikipedia)
On July 9, 2011 The Republic of South Sudan was officially recognized as the world's 194th independent country and Salva Kiir Mayardit was sworn in as the country's first president.
South Sudan's referendum on independence, scheduled for January, is nearing amidst concerns of insufficient time and citizenship.