Happy SPLM Day! Shouldn’t this be renamed to ‘South Sudan Liberation Day’. According to history, the day commemorates the foundation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army on this day in 1983.
“The 16th of May 1983 is a common heritage to all South Sudanese. The rebellion was not by the SPLM, the rebellion was by the South Sudanese who rebelled then they formed the SPLM in the bush.” Nathaniel Oyet, Deputy Chairman of the SPLM-IO was quoted.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was founded as a rebel movement on May 16th, 1983. It was led by Commander-in-Chief John Garang de Mabior. Along with the political wing, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the aim of the SPLA was to establish an autonomous Southern Sudan, initially within a united Sudan.
Initially, when one of the objectives of the 1983 rebellion was to free themselves (the people of Southern Sudan then) from being Islamized by the then majorly Islamic government, from oppression and ethnic discrimination, the then rebels seemed to have a very clear vision. Unfortunately, this vision became blurred over time.
In 2020, President Salva Kiir in his captivating speech admitted, “all of us would be ashamed if we met our fallen comrades because we have not lived up to their expectations. The SPLM/A was formed to fight for the rights of a few to positions of power and wealth. It was founded to free the masses of our people and future generations. The last six years of conflict and power struggle have been a complete betrayal of our revolutionary ideals, principles, and purpose. We admit mistakes are inherently human and we have the |Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS 2018) to correct our mistakes and get back on track casting aside personal ambitions and interests and focus on public interest.”
After South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, yes, the SPLA became the army of the new country, but the vision and bright future of the same new country were lost – hopefully not lost forever.