Salva Kiir has been the president of South Sudan since its independence in 2011. Kiir himself does not appear on any corporate documents identified by The Sentry, though members of his family own or control at least 126 companies in South Sudan.
The Sentry identified seven of Kiir’s children as shareholders of South Sudanese companies, along with his wife, Mary Ayen Mayardit,[193] nieces, and nephews. Two of Kiir’s grandchildren also own companies, including some that were passed down from their parents.[80] [37] [14]
The use of children, particularly minors, as proxies for the political elite is a strategy to avoid scrutiny and even evade sanctions.[206] Many times, the children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews of Kiir were minors or in their early 20s when they became shareholders.[109] [41] [42] [43] [10] [114] [135] [14] [138] [17] [88] [5] [148] [21] [143] [7] [22] [23] [57] [142] [131] [37]
