SSPDF questions UN response after rebels seized peacekeeping tank

JUBA – The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has raised questions about the response of the United Nations after government troops recovered an armoured vehicle that had been in rebel hands since the 2013 conflict.

SSPDF spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said the vehicle—nicknamed “Boorchar” by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO)—was recaptured during recent military operations in northern Jonglei State.

According to Koang, the recovery came as part of a military campaign known as Operation Enduring Peace, which the government launched in January 2026 to retake strategic bases that had fallen to rebel forces in late 2025.

“Within one week, the national army was able to retake all lost bases,” Koang said.

He explained that government forces regained control of several locations, including Motot, Piri, Lankin, Walgak, Padoi and Bong. The armoured vehicle was recovered in Piri village of Uror County, where rebel fighters had reportedly used it as a key battlefield asset.

Koang said the recovered vehicle is a BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle that originally belonged to a UN peacekeeping contingent.

From UN peacekeeping base to rebel battlefield asset

According to the SSPDF, the armoured vehicle was seized in December 2013 when SPLA-IO fighters attacked a UN base in Akobo during the early days of the South Sudan Civil War.

Koang said the rebels stormed the Temporary Operating Base of an Indian peacekeeping battalion stationed in the town.

During the attack, two Indian peacekeepers were killed, and another was wounded. Rebels reportedly captured several pieces of military equipment, including two BMP-2 armoured vehicles.

One of the vehicles later became widely known among rebel forces as “Boorchar” and was used in combat operations in Uror and surrounding areas.

After presenting documents and photographs of the recovered vehicle, Koang said the situation raises serious questions about what steps were taken after the equipment fell into rebel hands.

“I’m not here to blame the UN, but there are fundamental questions that I do not have answers to,” he said.

“After the base was overrun and all the hardware taken, what did the UN do? Did they report this major loss to the government? Did they make efforts to recover the tank and the lost items from the rebels?”

Koang noted that the armoured vehicle remained under rebel control for about 13 years before being recaptured by government forces this year.

“This equipment was meant for peacekeeping missions, but the base was overrun, and these deadly weapons got into the hands of rebels fighting the government,” he said.

He added that the UN now has an opportunity to respond to the concerns once details of the military briefing become public.