Japan to withdraw from South Sudan peacekeeping mission after 5 years

World 17:33 10.03.2017

 Japan will end its military's UN peacekeeping missionin South Sudan and pull out its troops in May after five years, PrimeMinister Shinzo Abe said Friday.

The government "has decided to end their activities by the end of May" after progress made in their task of infrastructure building,the premier told reporters.

In November, Abe's government gave the military its first missionsince controversial security laws went into effect in March 2016 despite strong domestic public opposition.

The laws, a flagship policy of Abe, enable the military to fight warsoverseas for the first time in nearly seven decades, countering hiscountry's pacifist constitution.

Japan's troops are allowed to fire warning shots and return fire ifthey are attacked or if they feel they are in life-threatening danger.

They have been assigned the task of rescuing UN staff and otherallied forces that come under attack during peacekeeping operationsin South Sudan.

While Japanese troops have formed part of the UN mission since 2012, they were previously not allowed to use force.

South Sudan has been in turmoil since December 2013, when a splitbetween President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Macharescalated into a military conflict. Tens of thousands have beenkilled and more than 2 million displaced.

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