Japan to evacuate aid workers from South Sudan as fighting intensifies
Conditions are rapidly deteriorating as clashes between the supporters of President Salva Kiir and his rival Vice President Riek Machar have devolved into general fighting that has killed a Chinese UN peacekeeper
The Japanese government is planning to evacuate Japan International Cooperation Agency aid workers from South Sudan amid an escalation of conflict in the East African country that killed many, including a Chinese peacekeeper.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference on Monday that preparations are underway to evacuate 47 people working in the field of economic assistance with JICA after the agency decided on Sunday they should be pulled out.
The government is pursuing every possible way to rapidly and safely evacuate [aid workers] and other Japanese nationals
“The government is pursuing every possible way to rapidly and safely evacuate [aid workers] and other Japanese nationals, including transport by other countries’ militaries,” Suga said.
As part of that effort, the government will make necessary preparations to deploy a C-130 transport plane and land transport equipment from the Self-Defence Forces to Djibouti, east of South Sudan, he said. The government will also dispatch a chartered plane for transportation of the workers.
The Japanese embassy has confirmed the safety of all 70 Japanese nationals registered in the capital Juba after gun battles broke out between military and opposition forces on July 7, Suga said.
The embassy was also in touch with SDF personnel deployed in peacekeeping activities under the United Nations mission in South Sudan and confirmed all personnel were safe.