Japan declines Burundi request for airlift support in Darfur
December 17, 2007 (TOKYO) — Japan has declined a request from Burundi to help airlift its soldiers to take part in a peacekeeping operation in Darfur, Sudan, because one of the prerequisites for Japan to deploy troops — the implementation of a cease-fire accord — has yet to be satisfied, government sources said Monday.
The decision came despite rising international expectations for Japan, which will take the rotating presidency of the Group of Eight nations next year, to contribute to resolving the grave humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
The issue of Darfur is a focus of international attention and is expected to be among the key issues to be on the agendas of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in May and the G-8 summit in July, both of which will be hosted in Japan.
The Burundi government made the request to Japan unofficially in October for support because Burundi lacks the necessary helicopters and other equipment to transport its troops who are scheduled to take part in the United Nations and African Union Hybrid peacekeeping operation in Darfur, known by its acronym UNAMID.
But Japan concluded that “there is no comprehensive peace agreement yet between the Sudanese government and the antigovernment forces” and has told Burundi that Tokyo will not be able to participate, a senior Foreign Ministry official said.
Japan has in recent years actively participated in and provided support to U.N. peacekeeping operations, such as in the Golan Heights, and U.S.-led antiterrorism missions such as in Iraq and around Afghanistan to promote a greater global role for its Self-Defense Forces.
However, under Japan’s legislation regarding dispatches to international peace cooperation, five basic principles must be fulfilled in order for Japan to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
They are, namely, that the warring parties must have reached a cease-fire accord and consent to Japan’s participation in the U.N. operations, that the U.N. forces must take a neutral stance, that Japan can withdraw if any of the aforementioned principles is not met, and that the use of weapons by Japanese forces involved is strictly limited.
The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed in May 2006 between the largest rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Movement, and the Sudanese government. But the United Nations, African Union and other parties concerned are still working to bring the non-signatories into the peace process.
More than 200,000 people are estimated to have died and at least 2 million displaced from their homes in Darfur since fighting broke out between the Sudanese forces and armed rebel groups. Atrocities including the murder of civilians and the rape of women and girls have been widespread and continue, according to the United Nations.
The establishment of UNAMID was authorized by a unanimously adopted U.N. Security Council resolution in July. It is scheduled to begin operations next January, but observers said the mission may be largely delayed as most of the participating African nations are lacking the necessary funding and resources.
(Kyodo)