11/08/2025
H.E. Justice Abel Alier Kuai was born on June 23, 1933, in Bor, Jonglei State, Republic of South Sudan. He was among the few children from his village to attend Malek Elementary School, a renowned center of learning that attracted students from as far as Equatoria, Bahr el Ghazal, and other parts of Upper Nile.
He later joined the prestigious Rumbek Secondary School before advancing to the College of Law at the University of Khartoum, where he earned his LLB in 1959. After serving in various government roles in Sudan, he pursued further studies at Yale University in the United States, completing his LLM and becoming a dedicated human rights lawyer.
Justice Abel Alier entered politics in the early 1960s as a founding member of the Southern Front, playing a key role from its inception in 1964. In 1968, he was elected to the National Parliament, representing Bor South Constituency. Over the years, he held numerous ministerial positions in a Sudanese government largely dominated by Arab leadership. From 1971 to 1982, he served as Vice President of Sudan, and from 1972 to 1978, as President of the High Executive Council of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region—demonstrating exceptional leadership and dedication to the cause of Southern Sudan.
After leaving active politics, Justice Abel Alier established his own law firm, mentoring many competent lawyers who went on to excel in their careers. Throughout Sudan’s second civil war, he remained a steadfast defender of human rights both within Sudan and on the international stage.
In 2016, President Salva Kiir Mayardit appointed him Co-Chairman of the South Sudan National Dialogue Steering Committee, a process that gathered the voices of South Sudanese on pathways to lasting peace and reconciliation.
Beyond politics and law, Justice Abel Alier made significant contributions to literature and historical documentation. He authored and co-authored several scholarly works, including the acclaimed Southern Sudan: Too Many Agreements Dishonoured (1990s). In collaboration with Fr. Hilary Boma Loswot, he documented human rights abuses and the ill-treatment of citizens from South Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Darfur in a groundbreaking 1998 publication in Khartoum.
South Sudan Writers (SSW) proudly honors H.E. Justice Abel Alier Kuai as a celebrated son of South Sudan—a statesman, jurist, and author whose legacy continues to inspire future generations.
