Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA DISBURSEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2005 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's ODA > Section 2. Measures for Each of the Priority Issues > 4. Peacebuilding > (4) Africa (Sub-Sahara)
(4) Africa (Sub-Sahara)80
<Overview>
Since the end of Cold War, in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the background of artificial determination of national borders, and fragile foundations of the nations, various complicated factors such as poverty, ethnic and religious confrontations, economic vested interests and independence movements have increased conflicts caused by struggles over power and resources between government and anti-government forces, confrontations among tribes and those among nations. Some cases evolved into international conflicts, such as the internal unrest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (former Zaire) in 1998 when the strife between government and anti-government forces drew intervention from several neighboring countries. Such conflicts have not only resulted in a great number of victims, refugees and internally displaced persons, but they have also created a vicious cycle of economic stagnation, destruction of infrastructure and further poverty. As a result, these factors have piled up, and it has become impossible to take adequate measures against various social problems and has not only led to the spread of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, but in some countries and regions, this has also created problems like the oppression of human rights, inflows and outflows of contraband of weapons and drugs, and an escalation of organized crimes.
In recent years, we witness Africa taking initiative to actively work for preventing and resolving conflicts. Such efforts are carried out by African countries, the African Union (AU), and Regional Economic Communities such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). As a result of this tendency of self-effort, the civil war in Sierra Leone which lasted for approximately 10 years, came to an end in 2002, as did the one in Angola for which a ceasefire agreement was reached in 2002, ending internal conflicts that had taken place intermittently for more than 27 years since Angola gained independence in 1975. Furthermore, a peace agreement was established in 2002 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where conflicts had lasted since 1998 with the interference of neighboring countries. In addition, a new government was established in democratic election in December 2006. Conflicts in various regions are gradually drawing to a conclusion, showing signs that peace is spreading throughout Africa. At the same time, efforts of post-conflict reconstruction are being advanced in order to prevent the reversion to conflicts and to consolidate the peace. Examples of such efforts include the return and resettlement of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) after the end of conflicts.
<Assistance by Japan>
From 1993, Japan has used the TICAD process as a foundation for assistance for Africa. At TICAD III in 2003, Japan revealed that the consolidation of peace would be included as a pillar of assistance emphasized by Japan, and has proactively provided humanitarian and reconstruction assistance hitherto.
To further promote the consolidation of peace based on African ownership of recent years, Japan held the TICAD Conference on the Consolidation of Peace in February 2006 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the conference, ways and means of assisting post-conflict countries were discussed. Japan announced its new initiative for consolidating peace in Africa. Following the Aid Package for the Consolidation of Peace in Africa in March 2005, the new initiative includes immediate assistance totaling approximately US$60 million for DDR, reduction and control of small arms and light weapons (SALW), anti-landmine measures, and the reintegration of child soldiers into society. Particular focus of the initiative is on Sudan, the Great Lakes region and West Africa. Moreover, on the occasion of his visit to Ethiopia and Ghana from the end of April to early May 2006, the then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced Japan's new action for the peace and development of Africa, which includes humanitarian assistance to the people in Darfur, assistance to countermeasures of SALW and counter-terrorism measures, as well as support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and Japan's Action Plan in Combating Infectious Diseases in Africa. Also included in the immediate assistance was emergency grant aid of approximately US$8.7 million to be extended to support the activities of the AU with respect to the Darfur conflict.
Japan puts a high value on the role that the AU has been playing in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. To help support the activities of the AU, Japan has extended a total of approximately US$4.82 million81 to the AU Peace Fund as of FY2006. In addition, Japan offered the following assistance in FY2006 to support the refugees and internally displaced persons who were forced to flee their homes due to conflicts or other reasons: approximately US$57 million via the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately US$58 million via the World Food Programme (WFP), US$67.5 million via UNICEF, and approximately US$5.22 million via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This assistance is mainly utilized within the humanitarian sector for emergency supplies of food and medicine, as well as in the health sector.