SPLA Day in South Sudan
SPLA Day is marked in South Sudan on May 16. The date recalls the 1983 mutiny by Battalion 105 soldiers in Bor, an event the government identifies as a turning point in the country’s history.[1][2]
A public holiday on the calendar
South Sudan’s Ministry of Labour lists SPLA Day as a one-day public holiday. In a circular, it addressed civil service institutions, commissions, diplomatic missions, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations and the public, and said work would resume the day after the holiday.[2][4]
The Labour Act says public holidays declared by the Ministry are observed on calendar days. Employees are entitled to paid leave on those days; if required to work, they are entitled to twice their regular hourly rate for hours worked or one day of paid leave in compensation.[3]
The events remembered on May 16
The Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services traces the day to the uprising by Battalion 105 at its garrison in Malual Chaat, Bor, in 1983. It identifies Major Kerubino Kuanyin Bol as the unit’s leader and says John Garang’s subsequent defection from the Sudanese army led to the formation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army.[1]
The same ministry describes the SPLM/A’s conflict with successive governments in Khartoum and links the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement to the eventual establishment of South Sudan. The holiday therefore recalls an event in the struggle that preceded independence, rather than South Sudan’s independence itself, which is marked on a separate national day.[1]
What is known about observances
Official sources establish the date and its historical meaning, but do not establish a consistent set of local customs, foods, ceremonies or regional differences for SPLA Day. Claims that families typically share particular dishes or that wreath-laying and parades are customary should not be assumed from the holiday’s name alone.[1][2]
Travelers should check with the specific bank, school, shop or transport service they plan to use.[2]
SPLA Day questions
When is SPLA Day?
Is SPLA Day a day off?
Is there a substitute day if May 16 falls on a weekend?
The Labour Act says public holidays are observed on calendar days.[3]
Are banks, shops and transport open?
Check directly with the bank, shop or transport provider you plan to use.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for SPLA Day in South Sudan:
- National Holidays- Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, Republic of South Sudan
- The SPLA Day- Ministry of Labour, Republic of South Sudan
- Labour Act, 2017- Republic of South Sudan
- Public Holidays Calendar 2022- Ministry of Labour, Republic of South Sudan