South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has appointed his son, Major General Atem Salva Kiir, as commander of the presidential guard, known as the Tiger Division.
The appointment has attracted attention in a country where there has been speculation that members of President Kiir’s family could eventually play a role in the country’s political leadership.
It has also raised questions over whether Kiir is following a path similar to that of his ally, Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, whose son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has risen to become the country’s top military commander.
The Tiger Division is an elite unit of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) responsible for protecting the president and other top government officials. It has also been deployed in security operations in and around the capital, Juba.
Gen. Atem, 36, was promoted from brigadier general to major general last week. Before his appointment, he served as commander of the Special Force within the Internal Bureau of the National Security Service (NSS).
Colonel Garang Ateny Alier, assistant director of information and public relations at the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the appointment on Tuesday was an official military directive made through the established command structure and based on merit.
“General Atem will carry out his duties as division commander because the assignment was made through the military command structure and has nothing to do with him being the president’s son,” Ateny said.
He dismissed reports that President Salva Kiir’s son had declined the post.
Bol Akok Mayar, a member of the family, said Maj. Gen. Atem has assumed command of the presidential guard following his recent promotion to major general.
The family dismissed earlier reports disputing the appointment and expressed its full support for Atem’s new military role.
Gen. Atem joined the security services in 2012 and began his career in the NSS. His rapid rise through the security establishment has attracted scrutiny.
The appointment comes as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for December 2026.
President Kiir, 74, has been in power since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. He has not said when he plans to retire and remains leader of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
He is also commander-in-chief of the SSPDF and supreme commander of the country’s other regular forces.
Gen. Atem is not the first of President Kiir’s children to hold a senior position.
In August 2025, President Kiir appointed his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, as Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes. Ms Adut has since represented her father at a number of high-level meetings in South Sudan and abroad.
The appointments of the president’s children have fuelled speculation about the role they could play in South Sudan’s political future. However, Kiir has not publicly said that either of them is being groomed to succeed him.
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