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South Sudan Vice President Taban Deng Gai has renewed his country’s claim to the disputed Ilemi Triangle, warning Kenya against treating the territory as settled.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting in Juba on August 29, Deng Gai criticised a regional map that he said failed to show territories South Sudan considers its own.
Deng Gai Challenges Kenya
The Vice President said he was unhappy with the map and accused Kenya of gradually taking control of South Sudanese territory.
“That section, it is the land of South Sudan. Now the Kenyans are almost agreeing on taking Ilemi,” Deng Gai said.
He also mentioned Kafia Kingi and Horfart an Hasa, claiming that the areas had disappeared from the map despite South Sudan considering them part of its territory.
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Dispute Over Ilemi Triangle
Deng Gai argued that the Ilemi Triangle should remain a subject of discussion between Kenya and South Sudan.
The territory covers roughly 14,000 square kilometres and sits near the borders of Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Kenya currently administers the area and has historically maintained security operations there, partly to protect Turkana communities that depend on the territory for pasture and water.
South Sudan inherited its claim after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011 and has continued to challenge Kenya’s administration of the region.
VP Recalls Moi-Era Map
Deng Gai also referred to Kenya’s former President Daniel arap Moi while discussing the territorial dispute.
He claimed Moi once altered Kenya’s map to include the Ilemi Triangle while Sudan faced civil war.
According to Deng Gai, some Kenyan politicians and supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga protested against the move.
He argued that conflict in another country should not give a neighbouring state the right to take its territory.
Ethiopia Also Linked to the Area
The Ilemi Triangle has long attracted competing claims and overlapping community movements.
Ethiopia does not maintain an official territorial claim, although communities such as the Dassanech and Nyangatom regularly cross into the area.
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Turkana, Toposa, Didinga and other pastoral communities also move through the region in search of pasture and water.
Competition over limited resources has contributed to recurring clashes between communities along the wider border region.
The latest remarks from Deng Gai could therefore revive diplomatic discussions over the status of the Ilemi Triangle as Kenya and South Sudan continue to manage their sensitive border relationship.
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