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| October 11, 2011 |
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| Japan's PKO in South Sudan |
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The Noda government is eager to dispatch troops of the Ground Self Defense Forces (GSDF) to South Sudan in the UN mission of PKO. Premier stresses on reconstruction efforts and humanitarian assistance, but real intention lies in vying with China to seek profits of oil. At the same time the government, taking advantage of experiences of the PKO, will produce conditions to fire arms in the conflict regions abroad.
SEEKING PROFITS AND MILITARY MISSION ABROAD BEHIND 'HUMANITARIAN' AGENDA
South Sudan won the status of independence last July after 20-strong years of civil war, splitting from Sudan. The nation is the 54th independent state in Africa and 193rd in the UN membership.
Sudan was colonized by the United Kingdom (the southern region) and Egypt (the northern) in the 19th century. After the WWII the two regions united to become an independent state in 1956. The government in the north in which ethnic Arab are dominant has breached an agreement of confederation; it has compelled non-Arabic speaking people in the south to use Arabic language as the official tongue to rule over them. In the southern region the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was founded and revolted against the northern regime, engaging in the civil war until 1972.
The northern government controlled over the oil resource located in the nation's south. It introduced the Moslem law system in 1983, which provoked the second round of civil war, which was fought from 1983 to 2005. Victims count over 1.9 million, with over 4 million refugees. The Arab-dominant government committed in genocide in the western region of Darfur. Numerous refugees have been suffering in the tragic conditions and international assistance has been extended.
A Battle Ground of US and China
In 1993 the US government put Sudan into their list of terrorist states to impose economic sanction. Meanwhile, China has worked extensively in Sudan to win major oil concessions as it seeks natural resources, including energy sources, in the whole world.
The United States, responding to the new situation, has involved in economic assistance toward Sudan with a colossal amount of money, intermediating in the peace process. Finally the US was successful in making the northern regime approve split and independence of South Sudan. China, at the same time, hastily approached to various forces in the south.
South Sudan achieved independence on July 9 this year, which is regarded as victory of 'US diplomacy', but the territory of Sudan is devastated due to long years of exploitation and civil war. The ravaged nation needs an extraordinary level of efforts to recover and rebuild people's life.
The biggest asset for reconstruction of South Sudan is oil. Big Powers are interested in who will win in acquiring concession of natural resources. Japan's impatience to dispatch of SDF in the PKO is motivated by a desire to join the competitions.
The UN Security Council approved the Sudan PKO in the previous day of independence: the unit will be composed of 7 thousand military personnel and 900 civilians, including policemen.
SDF Will be Deployed
Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon visited Japan last August to ask the government to send engineering units of GSDF to South Sudan, but Defense Minister Kitazawa Toshimi (then) replied in the reserved manner to 'send some headquarters personnel'. The Noda government, however, has changed attitude. Responding to the UN request, it sent a survey team September 24 to prepare deployment of 300 personnel from the engineering units. It tries to consolidate the US-Japan alliance and carry out a mission elaborated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make new contribution overseas in response to the international assistance rendered to the March 11 Earthquake.
Some factors are seen behind this hasty action; UN Secretary General had demanded both China and South Korea to send some troops to that African state. The government of Japan was worried about a delay in the decision-making: other countries may take in charge of the capital city of Juba in which security situation is relatively stable, or Japan may contribute enough to gain oil concessions, etc.
South Sudan desperately needs medical and education assistance as well as initiative in establishing legal framework, but the government of Japan clings to sending SDF troops as the primary task.
Mr. Maehara Seiji, policy chief of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, told in his lecture given on September 7 in the United States: 'Japan should be ready to fire weapons to defend forces of other countries which work together with the Japan's SDF in the PKO'. He suggested and appealed a next step.
Japan's PKO in South Sudan is to seek oil and accomplish a military mission.
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