Independence Day (South Sudan)

Independence Day is a public holiday in South Sudan, observed on July 9 yearly. The holiday commemorates when South Sudan separated from Sudan and became an independent country in 2011.

South Sudan is a landlocked country in East Africa, and it was part of Sudan before its independence in 2011. Egypt conquered Sudan in the early 19th century, but the United Kingdom occupied Egypt in 1881. Under pressure from the United Kingdom, Egypt agreed to share its sovereignty over Sudan with the United Kingdom. As a result, Sudan was under British-Egyptian rule.

The north accepted British rule, but the south resisted British rule. As a result, the British administered the northern and southern provinces separately, which created a dichotomy of the economic and political development between the two areas.

In the 20th century, following the growth of nationalism, the United Kingdom agreed to grant independence to Sudan, and Sudan declared its independence on January 1, 1956. However, the dichotomy between the north and the south created difficulties for government leaders to impose the policies.

After many negotiations, a referendum was held in January 2011 to determine whether South Sudan should separate from Sudan and become an independent country. 98.8% of the people favored independence, and South Sudan became independent from Sudan on July 9, 2011.

The following is the list of Independence Day in South Sudan from 2022 to 2026.

Please check more public holidays in South Sudan: