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11 October, 2006 11:58 AM
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| Newsletter
No. 382
The following newsletter has been contributed by Tomio J. Toyama (Shingetsu Member No. 114). Mr. Toyama is affiliated with the US Army and the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii. JAPAN IN SUDAN REVISITED Over the past year the Shingetsu Institute has been tracking the developments of Japan’s aid and extremely limited presence in Sudan. The crisis in Sudan has been twofold. Many forget that before the eruption of the Darfur crisis in 2003 there was a large-scale civil war between the Government of Sudan and Sudan People’s Liberation Military/Army (SPLM/A), among other militias and factions. The Naivasha Peace Treaty or -- as the UN knows it, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement -- was signed in January 2005 granting the southern, mainly SPLM/A, rebels autonomy, and a Sudanese referendum by 2011 for independence was scheduled. In these conditions and for the implementation and support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was approved on 24 March 2005 under Security Council Resolution 1590. This Chapter VII invoking mandate has authorized up to 10,000 military personnel, an appropriate civilian component, and over 700 civilian police personnel for UNMIS. The mission is a difficult one mainly dedicated to the peace agreement and facilitating the return of refugees and displaced persons. Just last month, the mission concentrated in the south has now moved to Darfur, authorized under UN Security Council Resolution 1706. This will surely open up the question again about a GSDF deployment in Sudan since it now has taken a greater “humanitarian” role, as opposed to only a PKO. Despite a faint physical presence in Sudan (the young MOFA Arabist Yusuke Kudo the most prevalent) Japan has given considerable donations and financial aid to Sudan. Last October, for the first time, Japan gave goods directly to a PKO. These items included four-wheel drive vehicles, land-mine detection equipment, and large tents. The Shingetsu Institute has reported on most of the assistance hitherto (see Newsletter No. 14). More recently, Japan has earmarked even more money for Sudan, and specifically Darfur. For example, on May 16th, Japan granted approximately US$8,674,000 to the African Union (AU) in support of its efforts in Darfur. Japan sees this as part of its stabilizing its influence in Africa and dedication to Koizumi’s pledge to Darfur (see Newsletter No. 267). One major pet project of the Japanese that could perhaps have a lasting impact on Africa’s security and stability is the Trust Fund for Human Security. Under Tokyo’s initiative, the UN Secretariat in March 1999 established this program, which has so far received international contributions of US$279.7 million. This fund has helped with over 150 UN projects regarding human security issues. Japan has continued its support of this fund with a July 28th contribution of US$1,298,374 in a project entitled, “Support of Safe Motherhood in the Nuba Mountains (Sudan),” and a June 12th contribution of US$1,745,436 to the “Crossing the Bridge of Peace: Victim Assistance and Mine Risk Education for Human Security in Sudan Project.” The former project has supported family planning and health services in the Nuba Mountains region. MOFA has stated that, “This project is expected to improve maternal health conditions in the Nuba Mountains by empowering communities and individuals in the region.” The latter project is designed to educate the Sudanese populace about land mines, and help eventually to develop a land mine safety strategy for the country. Also this year on July 28th, Japan fulfilled Koizumi’s US$100 million pledge with the contribution of US$18.1 million to Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda under the World Food Program (WFP). The fund breakdown is as follows, according to the MOFA press release: (1) For conflict-afflicted people in Sudan (including displaced persons in Darfur and those returning to the southern part of Sudan) (980 million yen) (2) For Darfur refugees and vulnerable host communities in Chad (150 million yen) (3) For vulnerable people suffering from food shortage caused by drought in Kenya (550 million yen) (4) For vulnerable people suffering from food shortage caused by drought in the northern part Uganda (330 million yen) In addition to fulfilling Koizumi’s pledge for the consolidation of Sudan’s peace in little over a year’s time, six Japanese are officials at the WFP, including Mr. Kenro Oshidari, who was appointed as WFP Regional Director for Sudan in May. He now has the tremendous task of implementing the largest food distribution program in the world. Japan in many respects has taken an important role in Sudan’s relief. Of course, everyone expects these types of donations, and the so-called “checkbook diplomacy,” from Japan. The real question that continues to emerge is: Will Japan deploy the GSDF to Sudan? Without any official word, it is very hard to predict, but there have been some significant changes in Tokyo’s outlook since Koizumi’s outright refusal last April of the UN request. First, and most recently, Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, a Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, mentioned in May that Japan might consider a deployment after the achievement of the peace agreement. “Achievement” of peace is a bit opaque, and it is hard to determine a time frame (see Newsletter No. 267). However, he went on to mention that Japan will begin to study the UN’s new deployment plan to Darfur from southern Sudan, but will this study include GSDF deployment contributions too? I have not heard additional reports regarding GSDF officers in Sudan as reported in Newsletter No. 86. The high-profile diplomat Yasushi Akashi (former Administrative Vice-Minister of UN) indirectly urged Japan to balance its financial contributions with personnel contributions in an op-ed last year (see Newsletter No. 69). Maybe Japan is moving in that direction after fulfilling her financial pledge last month. One final note of interest, a Bahrain News Agency report on August 20th announced that Sudan has shipped its first 600,000 barrels of crude oil out of Bashair Port to Japan. The economic relationship between Japan and Sudan might be solidifying in this respect as well.
MOFA
Press Release, “Emergency Grant Aid to the African Union
for Supporting its Initiatives concerning the Darfur Issue,”
MOFA Website, May 16, 2006. MOFA
Press Release, “Assistance for ‘Crossing the Bridge
of Peace: Victim Assistance and Mine Risk Education for Human
Security in Sudan’ Project,” MOFA Website,
June 12, 2006. MOFA
Press Release, “Assistance for ‘Support of Safe
Motherhood in Nuba Mountains’ Project in Sudan,”
MOFA Website, July 28, 2006. MOFA
Press Release, “Food Aid to African Countries through
the World Food Programme (WFP),” MOFA Website,
July 31, 2006. Bahrain News Agency, “Sudan Begins Export of Crude Oil to Japan,” Bahrain News Agency, August 20, 2006.
SUDAN BEGINS EXPORT OF CRUDE OIL TO JAPAN The first load of Sudanese crude oil produced at Trajaz oil field left Bashair Port on the Red Sea coast for Japan today. The 600 thousand oil barrel consignment was exported by the White Nile Corporation for Oil Operations on Sunday where Minister of Energy and Minerals, Dr. Awadh Ahmed expressed hope over the promising future of his country in the field of oil industry mainly after Darfur agreement had been signed. The Sudanese Minister affirmed his country's keenness to develop its ties with friendly states to attain common interests, pointing out to the efforts being exerted to extract oil from under the waters of the Red Sea.
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