SPLA Day is observed in South Sudan every May 16, commemorating the formation of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) during the Second Sudanese Civil War. The SPLA was established on May 16, 1983, when a group of mutineers from the Sudanese army initiated a rebellion near Bor, which Colonel John Garang de Mabior led. The SPLA emerged as a guerrilla movement opposing the imposition of sharia law and military rule by the Sudanese government, engaging in an armed struggle that lasted over two decades. Following South Sudan's independence in 2011, the SPLA became the country's regular army, making SPLA Day also a professional holiday for the South Sudanese military. The day serves to honor the sacrifices made during the civil war and recognize the military's role in the nation's history.