Japan Defense Chief Planning to Visit S. Sudan

Tokyo, Jan. 7 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is considering visiting South Sudan and Djibouti in mid-January, government sources said Wednesday. Nakatani will visit Japanese Self Defense-Forces troops sent to the two African countries for U.N.-led peacekeeping operations and an antipiracy mission, the sources said. He is also hoping to have talks with his counterparts in the two countries. Some 350 Ground SDF personnel are taking part in peacekeeping operations in South Sudan, helping infrastructure development projects in the capital of Juba. About 180 SDF personnel, mainly Maritime SDF members, have been dispatched to Djibouti, which serves as a base for international troops conducting antipiracy operations off Somalia. After visiting the two countries, Nakatani plans to fly to Britain for a so-called two-plus-two meeting of Japanese and British foreign and defense ministers. It will be the first two-plus-two meeting of the two countries. END