Japan to expand peacekeeping work in South Sudan

The Japanese government said Tuesday it will expand the peacekeeping activities of the Ground Self-Defense Force in South Sudan at the request of the United Nations, rejecting safety concerns following a deadly ambush in April. Some 330 GSDF troops are currently engaged in road reconstruction and other work in the capital of Juba and surrounding areas in the African country, which became independent from Sudan in 2011 after decades of civil war. Their expanded mission will cover the Equatoria region, made up of three states in the country's south, including one where the capital is located, Japan's (Kyodo) news agency reported. Tokyo is also considering increasing the number of troops, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.