SPLM Information Secretary Jimmy Atilio - Courtesy to SPLM Secretariat

The SPLM National Secretariat has stated that the upcoming 43rd-anniversary celebrations of the movement will be funded through member contributions, seeking to address reports regarding the event’s financing.

Speaking after meeting with the party’s digital team on Tuesday, May 5, SPLM Information Secretary Jimmy Atilio addressed what he described as “misquoted information” circulating about the May 16 preparations.

He stated that the responsibility for the celebration rests on the party’s members.

“Actually, the SPLM depends on its membership,” Atilio stated. “We are asking our membership for contributions to this event, not any other person. If you are not a member of the SPLM, you are free [from this obligation].”

The Information Secretary urged those outside the party to refrain from spreading “the spirit of confusion” among the public. While the funding is internal, Atilio invited the public to join in the milestone.

“We are celebrating it together with the South Sudanese people,” he added.

May 16 marks the anniversary of the 1983 founding of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).

The 2026 celebrations will commemorate 43 years since the movement’s inception, with events planned at the National Secretariat and across the country.

The Minister of Culture, Museums, and National Heritage, Hon. Sarah Nyanath, has announced a decentralized, people-centered approach for the 43rd anniversary of SPLA Day on May 16.

During a press conference on April 30, the Ministry urged citizens to take ownership of the festivities through community-led contributions, reflecting the spirit of the liberation struggle.

Hon. Nyanath emphasized that May 16 represents the resilience of South Sudanese people across all phases of liberation—from the Anya-Nya movements to the 1983–2005 war that led to independence in 2011.