UN chief requests Japanese participation in south Sudan peace mission
June 28, 2008 (NEW YORK) — U.N. chief Ban Ki Moon has expressed hope that Japanese Self-Defense Force troops (SDF) will participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations in Sudan.
”I would welcome the Self-Defense Forces’ participation in the United Nations Mission in Sudan,” the U.N. chief said in a recent meeting with Japanese media ahead of his two-week trip to Japan, South Korea and China beginning Saturday.
SDF troops being dispatched to Sudan would engage in road construction, demining and other duties in the war-torn country, government sources said. The Japanese army has superb demining techniques and is fully capable of operating in Sudan.
Japan is expected to make a final decision on the matter after it sends an advance team to Sudan this summer.
The Japanese government said since several months studying sending Ground Self-Defense Force troops to Sudan to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations in southern parts of the African country.
Ban said Japan has ”capacities and assets” and its participation in the U.N. mission would be ”a great contribution.”
”I would hope that Japan, with your very strengthened capacities, will contribute more in very specialized areas like logistics, engineering,” the U.N. chief said, noting the U.N. mission lacks many important critical assets such as ground transportation equipment.
”All in all, it’s a good demonstration of your willingness to contribute more for peace and security of the world,” Ban said.
Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005 that ended two decades of war in southern Sudan, the UN deployed a 10000 member UN mission with participation of more than 70 countries to monitor the peace implementation.
(ST)