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2016 December 7 - 13 TOP3 [POLITICS]

Shii points out that PM Abe is neglecting volatile situation in South Sudan

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on December 7 at a press conference after his face-to-face debate with Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said that the PM has no proper understanding of the volatile situation in South Sudan where the SDF is dispatched to participate in the UN PKO operations.

Shii said to reporters, “PM Abe avoided a direct answer to my questions focusing on the South Sudan issue. This shows that the government is incapable of responding to my questions.”

In the face-to-face debate, Shii asked Prime Minister Abe if the SDF’s use of arms in its new duty of rushing to rescue foreign peacekeepers under attack (kaketsuke-keigo) in the UN PKO mission in South Sudan violates the Constitution. The JCP chair also questioned about whether or not the South Sudanese government continues giving its consent to accept the PKO mission.

However, Abe did not respond to these questions, but only made evasive comments.

Shii said to the PM that under the current situation where South Sudanese government forces repeatedly attack UN staff, the performance of “kaketsuke-keigo” is likely to constitute a clear violation of the Constitution prohibiting the use of arms abroad.

Regarding the South Sudanese government’s consent to the UN PKO mission, Shii referred to the three most recent UN reports. Shii stressed that all three reports state that government-backed troops commited hostile acts against the UN mission systematically and continuously. He pointed out that the PM falsely insists that the UN mission is fully authorized.

At the press conference, Shii said, “Under the current situation, SDF troops might have to fight South Sudanese government soldiers. It is unacceptable for the PM to have no understanding of this probability.”

The JCP chair also criticized the PM for evading engaging in serious discussions with the opposition partieis.

Past related articles:
> South Sudan is more dangerous than central Tokyo: PM Abe [October 14, 2016]
> Japan’s use of weapons in PKOs is unconstitutional: expert in int’l relations [October 10, 2015]