The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has challenged the United Nations on its response after Government forces recaptured an armoured vehicle that had been in rebel hands since 2013.
Spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, nicknamed “Boorchar” by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army–In Opposition (SPLA-IO), was recovered during military operations in northern Jonglei State under Operation Enduring Peace, launched in January 2026 to retake bases lost to rebels in late 2025.
Koang detailed that government troops regained control of strategic locations including Motot, Piri, Lankin, Walgak, Padoi, and Bong, with the vehicle seized in Piri village of Uror County, where it had been used extensively in rebel operations.
The SSPDF traced the vehicle’s history to December 2013, when SPLA-IO forces attacked a UN base in Akobo, killing two Indian peacekeepers and capturing several military assets, including two BMP-2s. One of these vehicles became the infamous “Boorchar.”
Koang questioned the UN’s handling of the incident over the past 13 years, asking what measures were taken to recover the equipment and whether the loss was communicated to the South Sudanese government. “This equipment was intended for peacekeeping missions, but the base was overrun, and these weapons ended up in rebel hands,” he said.
The SSPDF noted that the UN now has an opportunity to respond following the presentation of documentation and photographs of the recovered vehicle.
The briefing involved ambassadors accredited to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, along with members of the crisis cell monitoring the situation in the Arabian Gulf and Middle East.