Japan to dispatch envoy to Sudan’s Darfur region

TOKYO, Sep 6, 2004 (Kyodo) — Japan urged Sudan in foreign ministerial talks Monday to redouble its efforts to settle the conflict in the Darfur region and conveyed its plan to dispatch an envoy to inspect the region, a Japanese official said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi was quoted as telling visiting Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail that Sudan should take “visible” measures to settle the conflict the United Nations says is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

There has long been tension in Darfur between Arabs and Africans. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 1 million have been displaced since February 2003, when African rebels rose against the Sudanese government, which they say is persecuting them.

Arab militias also started assaulting Africans indiscriminately.

Kawaguchi was quoted as saying the Foreign Ministry will dispatch Keitaro Sato, who serves as ambassador in charge of conflict and refugee-related issues in Africa, so that he can figure out what Japan can do to deal with the conflict.

The official said Sato will leave Japan later this month.

Ismail voiced hope that Japan will resume its foreign aid to Sudan, telling Kawaguchi the human rights situation in the African country has improved.

The Japanese government has suspended economic assistance to Sudan since 1992 on the grounds of human rights violations by the military junta.