Japanese troops to participate in rescue missions in South Sudan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: Getty Images/File
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: Getty Images/File

Tokyo/Juba, November 14, 2016 (SSNA) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told a parliamentary committee that Tokyo is ready to respond to urgent calls from the United Nations personnel and employees of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) anywhere in troubled South Sudan.

The announcement comes as Japan passed a bill, allowing its troops to play greater role in the war-torn young nation and other conflict zones around the world.

The Prime Minister asserted that South Sudan cannot even assure its peace and instability and that the UN is conducting a peacekeeping operation in search for peace.

“South Sudan cannot assure its peace and stability on its own and for that very reason, a U.N. peacekeeping operation is being conducted,” Abe told the committee.

“The SDF … is carrying out activities that only it can do in a tough environment,” assured the PM.

Japanese government indicates that tje new law grants its peacekeeping force right to defend UN camp jointly with troops from other participating countries, according to Reuters.

Japan already has troops in South Sudan under limited mandate. However, the new rescue bill, according to Abe, will allow his government to send peacekeepers from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to South Sudan by the end of this month and that troops will perform rescue missions anywhere in  South Sudan, should they receive a call from a NGO or UN staff.

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