Kerubino’s son launches new rebel movement, vows to ‘restore hope’ in South Sudan

JUBA – The son of late SPLA founding commander Kerubino Kuanyin Bol has announced the formation of a new political-military movement, pledging to challenge President Salva Kiir’s government amid growing economic hardship and institutional collapse in South Sudan.

General Malang Kuanyin Bol unveiled the group, named the Hope and Salvation Front/Army, in a statement issued on Monday, describing it as a response to unpaid salaries, rising living costs, and what he called the failure of state institutions to serve citizens.

“My fellow countrymen and women of South Sudan, I greet you wherever you are listening from. Today I bring you a simple message: hope is born,” Gen. Malang said.

He appealed directly to young people, civil servants, and members of the armed forces—many of whom have gone months without pay—to rally behind the new movement.

“Hope for the young person who finished school but has no job. Hope for the civil servant who works every day but is not paid. Hope for the soldier who served the nation but lives without dignity,” he declared.

Gen. Malang insisted that the movement would not target civilians, framing it instead as a campaign to reclaim justice and restore national order.

“This movement is not against the people. It is for the people. It is not formed to divide South Sudan. It is formed to restore dignity, justice, and order,” he said.

Invoking the legacy of his father, one of the original commanders in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, Malang argued that the goals of the liberation struggle remain unfulfilled.

“My late father, Kerubino Kuanyin Bol and his comrades dreamed of a South Sudan that belongs to all its people. That dream lives on. It lives in me. It lives in you,” he added.

South Sudan has endured repeated cycles of conflict since gaining independence in 2011. Persistent economic strain—marked by inflation, cash shortages, and prolonged non-payment of public salaries—has deepened public frustration and eroded confidence in state institutions.

The government of President Salva Kiir has not yet issued a response to the announcement.

Analysts caution that the emergence of another armed group could further strain South Sudan’s fragile political and security landscape, raising concerns about renewed instability in a country still struggling to sustain peace.