The first president of South Sudan is Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is currently the head of state. Salva Kiir is recognized for regularly wearing a 10-gallon Stetson hat, which has become his trademark look. This reportedly began in 2006, when he was visiting the White House. Former U.S. president George W. Bush gifted Kiir a Stetson hat, and he liked the gift so much that he bought himself several more.

But the hat is said to be more than just a fashion statement; it is also Kiir’s way of paying homage to George W. Bush for the role he played in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between Sudan and South Sudan. The peace agreement marked the end of the second Sudanese civil war, and by extension laid the groundwork for the subsequent referendum on South Sudan’s independence. Salva Kiir wore the same black Stetson that George W. Bush had gifted him the day he was inaugurated as South Sudan’s first president.

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