THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
April 20, 2023 at 18:20 JST
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada on April 20 ordered an Air Self-Defense Force’s transport aircraft to fly to Djibouti in eastern Africa and stand by there to help evacuate Japanese citizens from Sudan.
An ASDF’s transport aircraft and SDF officials will leave Japan by the end of this week for the evacuation operation.
In Sudan in northeastern Africa, fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been rapidly intensifying.
Around 60 Japanese citizens reside in the country, including those who work for nongovernmental organizations, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japanese Embassy, as well as their families.
The SDF has a base in Djibouti to help deal with pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
If needed, the SDF units already there are ready to participate in the evacuation operation in Sudan.
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