G  Africa (Sub-Sahara)

   The central political and diplomatic issues in Africa in 2006 continued to be the resolution of conflicts and the consolidation of peace. In July, the first full-fledged democratic elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 45 years since its independence were conducted peacefully, while historic ceasefire agreements were signed between the government and antigovernment forces in Uganda in August (*7) and Burundi in September. (*8) In this way, some countries had made steady progress towards peace and stability. Yet at the same time, in the Darfur region of the Sudan, (*9) although some parties to the conflict signed the Darfur Peace Agreement in May, there have been ongoing armed conflicts by other groups that did not sign the Agreement while the humanitarian situation in the region has deteriorated. In Somalia, the Transitional Federal Government, which had support from Ethiopian troops, brought the south-central region under control, but prospects still remain uncertain.

   On the economic front, the impact of the rise in oil prices globally contributed to rapid growth of some oil-producing nations, and stable growth was seen in this region as a whole. (*10) Within that, countries in which the consolidation of peace had made progress in recent years saw steady growth, (*11) reconfirming the fact that peace is the foundation for development. In addition, attempts at regional cooperation and economic integration saw some progress, (*12) centered on countries that enjoyed political stability and steady development. However at the same time, in many countries, the economic and social situations were as bleak as in the past, with delayed human resource development (*13) among the various challenges now being faced.

   In the international community, the rise of emerging donor countries in Africa, notably China, has received much attention.

   Japan considers the significance of its assistance to Africa lies in the following three points: Japan, (1) as a responsible member of the international community, will make proper contributions to the resolution of global issues that are concentrated in Africa; (2) will strengthen the foundations for its diplomacy through enhanced relations with the 53 countries that comprise one-third of the member states of the United Nations; and (3) will pursue with Africa, which is both a treasure house of resources and a potential market, the possibility of medium- and long-term development of economic relations. In 1993 Japan launched the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a policy forum related to African development that ranks among the largest in the world, and through this TICAD process Japan has been conducting proactive diplomacy towards Africa. Rooted in the basic principles that the TICAD process promotes, namely “ownership” by Africa and “partnership” with the international community, the process aims at self-reliance and takes the stance of supporting those things that Africa itself considers necessary, and, as a process that leads to sound and sustainable development for Africa, receives high evaluations from not only Africa but also the international community.

   In 2006, Japan continued with the momentum that had come about in 2005, the “Year of Africa,” (*14) engaging in steady promotion of the TICAD process as part of the lead-up to the fourth TICAD (TICAD IV), which will be held in 2008.