The outgoing Ambassador of Japan to South Sudan, TSUTSUMI Naohiro, started his tour of duty in the country in the last three years and a half and says South Sudan has made a steady progress in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement. The Japanese diplomat reiterated his country’s commitment to support South Sudan to get ready for elections in December 2024.
Radio Tamazuj caught up with him and during an exclusive interview sounded him out on a broad range of issues.
Below are edited excerpts:
Q: Ambassador Naohiro, how would you characterize the relationship between Japan and South Sudan?
A: The bilateral ties have been in a good shape. There is a productive interaction between Japan and South Sudan. While Japan is actively supporting South Sudan’s self-help efforts for a durable peace and development, South Sudan is supportive of Japan’s positions on global issues. Japan invests in the future of South Sudan and the relations of the two countries. Over time, the relations expect to be more mutually beneficial and more sustainable in the future.
Q: If you look back at the last three years and a half since you became Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan. What could say are your major achievements? What were the factors behind your achievements?
A: As Ambassador of Japan, my priority is always the safety of the Japanese nationals in this country. None of Japanese individuals have faced a serious threat to life or health during my tenure. This is not my achievement but it makes me happy. As far as the country Japan is concerned, the best achievement is the established fame “a true friend” of South Sudan. Japan is so welcomed by South Sudanese people due to the tremendous support to South Sudan. This success owes to the support and generosity of Japanese taxpayers, the tireless efforts by JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] and many other Japanese individuals joining activities to help South Sudan and the people.
Q: Japan has been seen active in supporting infrastructural projects in South Sudan. What would you say has worked since South Sudan independence?
A: Japan’s foreign assistance is aimed at helping the recipient country become a stronger and self-reliant economy. To this end, Japan offers both hard and soft infrastructure to strengthen the capacity of the country and people for development. Japan completed Freedom Bridge and a new Juba Water Treatment Plant. Hardware alone is not enough for development, but software is necessary, too. During the construction of Freedom Bridge, Japanese experts trained young South Sudanese engineers to gain skills for maintenance. As for the Juba Water Treatment Plant, JICA is training the South Sudan Urban Water Corporation to well manage and maintain the facilities and operate water service. The effective use of the capacity, or soft infrastructure, and hard infrastructure, are the powerful driving forces for self-reliant development.
Q: Can you list the projects your country gives South Sudan? What does Japan expect in return?
A: While Freedom Bridge and Juba Water Treatment System are well-known among South Sudanese, we have many other projects underway of infrastructure development and technical cooperation such as Juba City Bridge Construction, Juba Clean City, and Juba River Port Improvement. Japan has supported National Unity Day to empower youth through sports and help promote unity of different communities which would lead to a national unity. Gender is another priority. I recently signed a 5million USD project with UNDP in collaboration with JICA to establish community centres across Central/Eastern/Western Equatoria states to provide support and business training to SGVB survivors.
As for the second question, there are five causes for Japan to assist South Sudan’s efforts on the peace process and nation building.
Firstly, helping South Sudan is perfectly in line with Japan’s foreign policy, “Proactive Contribution to the Global Peace”. Under the policy, Japan is always willing to help a peace building effort on the globe since such peace building is part of the global peace on which Japan’s peace and security depends. To help South Sudan’s peace building is embodying the Proactive Contribution to the Global Peace.
Secondly, Japan attaches great importance to the realization of “Human Security” across the globe. This Human Security is the concept that every single human being should be entitled to live a safe and dignified life and should be allowed to develop their potentials to the maximum extent possible. Japan believes that Human Security should be guaranteed for South Sudanese people who have long suffered civil wars.
Thirdly, Japan needs stability in East Africa. To Japan, East Africa is the gateway to the African Continent. South Sudan’s peace and stability interrelates with that of East Africa.
Fourthly, Japan wants to strengthen the cooperation with South Sudan in addressing global issues such as the rules-based international order, the UN reform, environment, and so on.
And fifthly, Japan expects more active bilateral exchanges in business, culture, and grass roots.
The five pillars would bring the bilateral relations between the two countries to a more mutually beneficial level.
Q: What is your assessment of the current situation in South Sudan, and what would you like to see improve?
A: Since the start of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) in February 2020, South Sudan has made a steady progress to the 2018 R-ARCSS. It includes the formation of governments and legislative bodies, as well as the start of deployment of the unified forces, Constitution making process, and preparation for the elections. Although its pace is behind the schedule of the Roadmap, these achievements should not be underestimated, because they are all indispensable steps for the final goal of the R-ARCSS to create a democratic South Sudan. I am confident that South Sudan will fulfil all the outstanding tasks of the Roadmap, such as the full deployment of the unified forces, a permanent Constitution, judicial and financial management reforms and so on, even if it takes more time than expected. It must be done thoroughly, because it is the only way to reach the goal of peace, democracy, and development.
Q: South Sudan has a few months left to the elections. What is Japan’s role in ensuring that the country holds free, fair, and transparent elections?
A: Japan is to reiterate a strong commitment to supporting South Sudan until she delivers all the outstanding tasks of the R-ARCSS, including the elections. The Embassy of Japan will try to financially support IGAD, RJMEC, and CTSAMVM, which would work to ensure the credible elections. UNDP, in partnership with JICA, is to launch voter education project next year, in which half of the participants will be women. In addition, JICA’s electoral management expert served as the advisor to the National Election Commission, to identify the pending tasks, establish the administrative system for voter education, and raise awareness about the election and democracy.
Q: Ambassador Naohiro, do you think South Sudan is ready for the elections?
A: I think the answer to this question should come from among South Sudanese people. As long as you, South Sudanese people, do want the elections to take place, Japan is willing to help South Sudan get ready for it.
Q: The civic space in South Sudan is constrained, the civil society can hardly do their work, and media freedoms are restricted. What is the contribution of Japan in ensuring that South Sudanese have freedom of expression?
A: Freedom of expression is absolutely necessary for a democratic governance. I believe that South Sudanese people will achieve a full freedom of expression through democratic processes, including elections, though it could take some time. To help promote freedom of expression in South Sudan, JICA offers technical cooperation to SSBC [South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation] by helping them organise “Election Reporting Core Team”. The team will work on election-related broadcasting to raise awareness among the public. JICA also collaborates with the Union of Journalists in South Sudan and Association for Media in South Sudan to promote the freedom of expression. However, freedom of expression is not something given from somewhere tomorrow. It is something you, South Sudanese people, must win by your own efforts. It may take some time, but I am sure you can do it.
Q: As an ally of the West, is Japan ready to see its relations with South Sudan reach a strategic level? If yes, how?
A: While Japan is not intended to form an alliance with South Sudan, it is very interested in being a good friend of South Sudan. As mentioned earlier, to help South Sudan’s efforts for peace and development is “Investment in the future of South Sudan and the relations between Japan and South Sudan”. Japan also expects the “return”, with better results on the said five causes, Proactive Contribution to the Global Peace, human security, stability in East Africa, close cooperation in addressing the global issues, and active bilateral exchanges. I hope that the relations of the two countries will be successful in these points and become more mutually beneficial and sustainable.
Q: Ambassador Naohiro, what is your message to the leaders and the people of South Sudan?
A: Believe in yourselves. You can do what you should do. You can be what you want to be. Japan will remain a true friend of South Sudan.
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