The story
SPLA Day in Juba/Nationwide
SPLA Day, observed every May 16, commemorates the 1983 mutiny at Malualchaat that launched the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the second Sudanese civil war, a conflict that eventually led to South Sudan's independence. The national holiday honors SPLA veterans, martyrs, and the Red Army youth fighters, though official celebrations have sometimes been scaled back due to economic strain.
On May 16, 1983, at a place called Malualchaat, a group of soldiers rose in mutiny against rule from Khartoum, an act of defiance that historians and South Sudanese leaders alike now describe as the spark that opened the door to liberation for the region that would eventually become South Sudan.