(5) South Sudan
After the Second Sudanese Civil War, which lasted over 20 years, South Sudan gained independence by seceding from Sudan in July 2011. The African Union (AU) mediated negotiations on many issues between Sudan and South Sudan prior to South Sudan's independence. The governments of both countries agreed on issues such as oil and security measures in border areas in September 2012, and on the roadmap for executing the agreement in March 2013. However, some of the agreed-upon measures remain unimplemented, and both countries have not reached agreement on the attribution of the Abyei region(Note 24) to which both countries lay claim and on the issue of the disputed area. In South Sudan, clashes have erupted between the government and anti-government forces since December 15, 2013, causing concerns over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, including the rise of IDPs and refugees. Efforts for peace are under way with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), comprised of neighboring countries, acting as a mediator. (As of October 2014)
< Japan's Efforts >
Peacebuilding is one of the priorities of Japan's diplomacy towards Africa. In particular, stability in Sudan and South Sudan is directly related to the stability of the whole of Africa. The two countries are therefore an area within Africa requiring intensive assistance for the consolidation of peace. With this understanding, Japan has disbursed over $1.3 billion to Sudan and South Sudan since 2005. Japan continues to support the consolidation of peace through disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of former soldiers and lend assistance in fields dealing with basic human needs (BHN) so that the people of the two nations actually feel that peace has been established and do not revert to civil war. Specifically, Japan provides support focused on meeting BHN and maintaining a food production base mainly in the war-torn regions of Sudan. To South Sudan, in addition to the aforementioned support, Japan's assistance has focused on development of infrastructure and governance. In May 2014, Japan provided emergency humanitarian assistance in response to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation there since December 2013.
Japan has dispatched an engineering unit from the Japan Self-Defense Force to work on the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) and is implementing projects that are linked to the engineering unit's activities so that Japan can put forth an integrated effort for stability and nation-building in South Sudan. In 2013, Japan implemented the Project for the Rehabilitation of Juba Na-Bari Community Road in coordination with the Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Project. The unit is currently providing supports for IDPs and conducting other operations in response to the deterioration of the security situation since December 2013.
- Note 24: The Abyei region is located on the north-south border in Sudan. Since it was one of the most hard-fought battlefields during the North-South civil war and has rich oil reserves, both countries claim sovereignty over this region.