The First Daughter embarked on her duties by visiting high-profile officials and veterans this week, meeting Vice Presidents Benjamin Bol Mel, Taban Deng Gai, and Josephine Lagu, and veteran liberators Joseph Lagu and Rabi Mujung, the Central Equatoria State Governor, in recognition of their services to the country.
While the gesture is viewed as positive, Deng Bol Aruai, the Chairman of South Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SSPLM/A), said Adut’s ongoing consultations with top government officials would only gain true national significance if she included Machar.
“Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit has begun her engagements on a promising note by meeting with her father’s lieutenants. After concluding her rounds with the Vice Presidents, the most powerful signal of national healing would be for her to visit Dr. Riek Machar at his residence, where he remains unjustly detained,” Aruai noted.
Machar has been restricted to his Juba residence since March under what opposition figures and international observers have often described as a de facto detention.
His movement and allied groups have repeatedly accused the government of undermining the spirit of the 2018 peace agreement by limiting his political activities and freedom of movement.
Aruai argued that a gesture by Adut to reach out to Machar would not only help redefine her role beyond family loyalty but also set the tone for a new chapter in South Sudan’s fractured politics.
“Such a step would elevate her role beyond the confines of family loyalty and mark the beginning of a much-needed culture of reconciliation and dialogue in South Sudan,” he emphasized.
The call highlights the persistent tensions between the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Government (SPLM-IG) and the SPLM-IO, despite their partnership in the transitional government.
While Adut’s appointment was widely interpreted as a sign of Kiir’s trust in his daughter to play a unifying role, critics caution that the true test of her mandate lies in how she engages with opposition leaders who continue to feel marginalized.
Observers say that with elections scheduled for 2025 still uncertain, efforts toward genuine reconciliation remain vital to avoid a relapse into violence.
