South Sudan Denies Having Sought UN Intervention on the contentious Ilemi Triangle
22 August 2012—(Nairobi) — A South Sudanese diplomat has denied media reports that South Sudan had written a letter to the AU and UN saying that the contentious Ilemi Triangle belongs to it.
The two countries claim ownership of the mineral-rich area.
On Tuesday, Kenya’s NTV quoted assistant Foreign Affairs minister, Richard Onyonka as saying that Kenya was planning to hold talks with South Sudan, and that the triangle would remain Kenyan territory, as it is depicted on Kenyan maps.
In response to the claim, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya, Majok Guandong denied having written any letter to the United Nations and the African Union.
[Majok Guandong]: “The media is trying to magnify issues, trying to bring about some difficulties between the two counties. There is no such claim. We have not claimed this. Both sides know the position of the Ilemi Triangle. When we demarcated our borders with other states, we did not demarcate our borders with Kenya and Ethiopia. And we knew it because they are our brothers. I don’t think there will be any problem at all on this issue.”
When asked where the Ilemi Triangle is exactly located, Guandong response was,
[Majok Guandong]: “You know the answer yourself, why do you ask for something that you already know.”
Named after Anyuak chief Ilemi Akwon, the Ilemi Triangle is an area of disputed land at the South Sudan – Kenya border.
http://www.sudanradio.org/south-sudan-refutes-media-allegations-ilemi-triangle
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