SPLA Day (South Sudan)

SPLA Day is a public holiday in South Sudan, and it is observed on May 16 each year. The holiday commemorates the anniversary when the Sudan People\’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was founded on May 16, 1983.

Due to the religious differences between the north and south, a number of mutinies broke out in the Sudanese army in the southern regions in 1983, and these mutinies led to the establishment of the SPLA, led by John Garang. In the beginning, the SPLA campaigned for a United Sudan against the policies not great to the south but changed to gain full independence for South Sudan.

The Sudanese Civil War started in 1983 between the central Sudanese government and the SPLA. From 1989 to 1991, SPLA occupied various towns and controlled most parts of southern Sudan. The war lasted 22 years until 2005 and about 2 million people died in the war.

After South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, the SPLA became the new nation\’s armed forces. Sudan People\’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was officially changed to South Sudan People\’s Defence Forces in 2018. Currently, the army was estimated to have about 200,000 soldiers.

The following is the list of SPLA Day in South Sudan from 2022 to 2026.