Kiir Formalises Travel Controls—Former Officials and Domestic Journeys Included
Republican Order No. 36/10/2026, dated 15 October and announced by SSBC, replaces earlier general restrictions with different requirements for senior current and former officials.
Radio Tamazuj and Eye Radio reported the order following its broadcast. South Sudan Press has not yet obtained the complete signed instrument. The following summary reflects the provisions in those accounts and should be checked against the original text.
| Group | Travel abroad | Travel within South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| Serving senior officials, including caretaker ministers and governors | Written Cabinet Affairs permission, with Presidency endorsement | Written notification to Cabinet Affairs |
| Former vice-presidents, ministers, governors, parliamentary leaders and lawmakers | Prior written Presidency endorsement | Written notification to Cabinet Affairs |
| Former undersecretaries, commission heads and other senior officials | Written Cabinet Affairs permission | Written notification to Cabinet Affairs |
The domestic notice is reported to include the purpose, destination, duration and mode of travel. Requests and notices are due at least 48 hours before departure. The reports do not describe domestic notification as an application for permission.
What the new order changes
The order revokes previous directives, circulars and administrative practices imposing general restrictions, according to Radio Tamazuj. It nonetheless retains targeted approval for foreign travel and extends written notice requirements to covered people’s domestic journeys. The inclusion of former officeholders deserves particular scrutiny because their public role and obligations differ from those of serving officials.
Kiir had earlier reiterated permission for constitutional officeholders’ foreign trips. That statement did not authenticate every term of a photographed 3 October Nimule notice. The latter’s claimed three-month period and military ranks remain separate verification questions. Read our editor’s note on the earlier document →
Safeguards still unexplained
The reports do not identify approval criteria, a written-refusal process, an appeal route, penalties or an emergency exception for urgent medical travel. Nor do they establish how a former officeholder who becomes an opposition candidate would be treated. Article 101(t) is cited as the order’s legal basis, but its application to former officials and domestic notification calls for legal scrutiny. No court has ruled on the order’s validity in the material reviewed.
We have requested the full signed instrument and implementation guidance. The Presidency and Cabinet Affairs Ministry should publish forms, contacts, response times, the procedure for emergencies and a mechanism to contest refusals.
Sources: Radio Tamazuj, 16 October 2026; Eye Radio, reporting SSBC. Complete signed order not independently obtained as of this draft.