Retreat from South Sudan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Friday that the engineer troops of Ground Self-defense Force of Japan in charge of United Nations peace-keeping operation would retreat from South Sudan by the end of May. Although Abe stressed that the troops achieved its goal of building infrastructure to some extent, it was recognized as a decision to avoid political disaster caused by possible victims in the troops. Retreat from South Sudan on its way to reconstruction may leave a fundamental question: What was the operation for, anyway?

The announcement was abruptly made in the eve of sixth anniversary of East Japan Great Earthquake. “In the time when the nation building in South Sudan is getting into a new phase, I found that JGSDF’s operation for infrastructure could have been brought to an end,” said Abe to the press. He also insisted that sending troops to United Nations Missions in the Republic of South Sudan would be continued.

Japanese government started sending troops to South Sudan in 2011 and about 4,000 troops worked for constructing roads or other infrastructure there. But, security situation there got deteriorated as the civil war was intensified. When major collision between South Sudanese military and anti-government power occurred last July, JGSDF officers described in their official diary that “battle” was made. The opposite parties criticized that the operation violated five principles for PKO, one of which did not allow participation of PKO without establishment of truce between the parties.

Abe administration insisted that the retreat would not be brought with deterioration of security situation, but with achievement of certain goal. “Deterioration of security situation is not the reason. The situation in Juba is relatively calm,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga. Without any persuasive reason, though, Abe administration recognizes that the support for South Sudan is getting into another phase, leaving from military operation and proceeding to humanitarian assistance.

Abe already obtained an important achievement in South Sudan. The administration added current 11^th Expeditionary Troops new missions of rushing guard for friend troops and camp protection for the first time. By reinterpreting Constitution of Japan, those operations became recognized as constitutional. It was concerned that JGSDF would be in more dangerous environment. Even some lawmakers in the leading party admitted that Abe administration would be falling down, if the operation in South Sudan made a victim.

Abe sent his deputy to South Sudan to explain his decision of retreat and Japanese Ambassador to U.N. reported it to the office of PKO. Abe would be satisfied with the operation, if the troops return home without a victim in South Sudan.