Japan contributes to South Sudan development
February 17, 2008 (JUBA) — Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is preparing to assist development in southern Sudan after upgrading its assessment of security in the region, the organisation’s president said on Sunday.
The JICA President who is visiting Sudan nowadays met with the Sudanese president Omer Al-Bashir today in Khartoum to brief him on the projects being implemented by JICA in Sudan as well as its prospective plan to consolidate peace and development in Sudan.
“We are very happy to see JICA involved in the reconstruction of southern Sudan,” Sadako Ogata, head of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said in the southern capital Juba.
Last month, the aid agency’s security team analysed the situation in the south at the invitation of ex-rebels now incorporated into a national unity government in Sudan.
“They wanted to be sure that local security was good for our staff to work here, and they found it satisfactory,” said Ogata, who flew to the south after talks in Khartoum with government and UN officials.
Her visit comes one day after a Japanese newspaper reported that Tokyo is mulling sending peacekeeping troops to southern Sudan under a UN umbrella to help implement a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of war.
Southern Sudan officials have welcomed the possibility.
“Japan, being an influential member of the United Nations, can play a role,” said southern Sudan Regional Cooperation Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin.
The JICA has said it is considering projects in health and education.
Japan, the world’s second-largest economy, has pledged 150 million dollars through the UN or other relief bodies, for Darfur or southern Sudan. The security clearance would put Tokyo on course to implement its own projects.
Ogata has committed the JICA to expanding its assistance to Africa and the organisation’s project budget for the continent has increased from 15.5 to 22 percent, or 25.4 billion yen (200 million dollars).
Asian countries are major players in Sudan, with China the country’s biggest foreign investor, arms supplier and oil customer. Malaysia is another key trading partner.
The Federal Minister of International Cooperation, Al-Tigani Salih Fedail, commended the effective contribution of Japan in the implementation of development projects in Sudan, referring to Japan’s contribution in Oslo Conference for donors besides its contributions in the bilateral cooperation programmes in domains of development, health, education and infrastructures.
He also enumerated the projects being implemented by JICA in Kassala and Juba besides rehabilitation of Ibn Sina Hospital besides vocational training and development of human resources.
(ST)
Some information for this report provided by AFP
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Japan contribute to South Sudan development
Thats the main point of good development to SS and Goss should ensure that the unskillss SS people must work together with JICA constraction project for their own catch up,and its good if Goss can promote vocational training so that SS can relay by itself.Goss must keep out from NCP suppliers of weapons
Asian countries China and Malaysia because we are working for peace not war.thirdly i beleive that there is no need for Tokyo peacekeeping troops to southern Sudan under a UN umbrella to help implement a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of war,please provide serious control of Malaysian engineers in Abeyi as i heard same dreams previous.peace comes to Durfur if SPLA and NCP are really united legally and international,but if the CPA btn SPLA and NCP is just seen as an egg on de hands of blind strongly i disagree that no peace in Dufur.
yet i dont see and understand the real peace btn NCP and SPAL and Goss is acting for international agreements for development its truth or just for chance of being a leader,anyway lets see in de nearest future,also Goss should ensure that he is working while internal theory is maintain about JICA history.otherwise SS will regret later.