JUBA – A former senior South Sudanese military officer and diplomat, Gen. Wilson Deng (Weks) Kuoirot, has declared the formation of what he called a “National Uprising Movement” and a corresponding armed wing, aimed at overthrowing the government of President Salva Kiir.
In a lengthy statement dated December 28, 2025, Kuoirot, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSPDF) and as South Sudan’s ambassador to South Africa, declared that the country’s “First Republic,” spanning from independence in 2011 to 2025, had “ended in failure.”
The declaration accuses the government in Juba of catastrophic failures in the economy, security, and governance, arguing that these failures have stripped the current leadership of legitimacy.
Kuoirot claims South Sudan’s economy has deteriorated due to what it describes as the government’s refusal to implement economic reforms outlined in Chapter Four of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). He cites specific provisions requiring transparency in oil-backed loans and oil marketing, alleging that these were ignored.
According to the document, crude oil cargoes were instead allocated to networks linked to President Kiir, leading to economic collapse, hyperinflation, salary arrears for civil servants, the closure of foreign embassies, and widespread poverty.
On security, the statement accuses the government of failing to protect civilians and of encouraging communities to arm themselves, alleging that state authorities became a major source of weapons for local militias.
It claims that inter-communal violence, cattle raiding, and child abductions were allowed to continue while national forces remained inactive.
The new rebel leader further asserts that the government violated the terms of the R-ARCSS by allowing its mandate to expire in 2022 and then extending it through what it calls illegal measures, most recently in December 2024. It also accuses the administration of suppressing civil liberties, arresting political rivals, and sidelining peace partners.
Kuoirot’s declaration portrays the government as dysfunctional, alleging that cabinet meetings no longer occur regularly and that several ministers are imprisoned, in exile, or inactive.
The statement calls for the dissolution of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) and proposes its replacement with a 24-month interim administration led by a Chief Executive Officer, supported by civilian technocrats and former SPLA officers overseeing security.
It also proposes immunity from prosecution for President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, depending on their cooperation with a democratic transition.
However, the declaration states that if President Kiir refuses to step aside, a nationwide “People’s Uprising” or “Intifada” would be launched. It announces the formation of the National Uprising Movement (NUM) and the National Uprising Army (NUA), describing armed resistance as inevitable.
The statement urges members of the SSPDF and various armed groups, including SPLA factions and other militias, to join the newly declared movement.
Addressing South Sudanese citizens, the declaration argues that the country has experienced 41 years of conflict and instability, including the liberation war and two decades of what it describes as misrule after independence. It warns that poverty, hunger, and disease will persist unless political change occurs, while acknowledging that such change would come at a cost.
There has been no immediate response from the South Sudanese government to the declaration.