Japanese peacekeepers arrive in South Sudan with mandate to use force

The first batch of 130 Japanese peacekeepers on Monday arrived in South Sudan to support the UN mission and with a mandate to use force for the first time since World War II.
The peacekeepers are part of Japan’s 350-strong contingent, while the rest would arrive in December to the UN force of 12,000 troops in the war-torn country.
Recently, Japan’s government gave the military its first mission since controversial security laws went into effect in March in spite of strong domestic public opposition.
The laws, a flagship policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, enabled the military to fight wars abroad for the first time in nearly seven decades, countering Japan’s pacifist constitution.
Japan’s troops would be allowed to fire warning shots and return fire if they are attacked or if they feel they are in life-threatening danger.
They would be assigned the task of rescuing UN staff and other allied forces that come under attack during peacekeeping operations in South Sudan.
While Japanese troops have formed part of the UN mission since 2012, they were previously not allowed to use force.
Shantal Persaud, a spokeswoman for the UN mission, said: “The new batch of 130 Japanese troops is vital for the UN peacekeeping mission and the people of South Sudan, since it will help in maintaining the security’’.
South Sudan has been in turmoil since December 2013, when a split between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar escalated into a military conflict.
Tens of thousands have been killed and over 2 million displaced.