Japan cautious on Sudan deployment

TOKYO, Feb 04, 2005 (UPI) — Japan’s defense minister said Friday the country must carefully consider the possibility of deploying troops to Sudan.

In a press briefing, Yoshinori Ono said that while sending peacekeeping forces is legal, “it is important for Japan to act internationally as a messenger of peace. There needs to be a clear guideline on when weapons can be used.”

Japan’s constitution prohibits its Self-Defense Forces from deployment abroad except for peacekeeping operations. There are currently about 500 Japanese troops in Iraq, but they are there to provide humanitarian aid and are not involved in military operations.

There are nonetheless growing calls from the international community for Japan to deploy its troops to help bring stability to war-ravaged Sudan.