Following my two previous post HERE and HERE
A comprehensive approach for Africa: towards the establishment of a Pax nipponica (11)?
Japan has always seemed behind the face of major developments on the continent (and indeed the world), TODAY 'Today he aspires to again become a political nation. But its main problem is to "transform its high power (12). His priorities therefore the development of its international assistance, its model for sustainable development and strengthening its presence in international organizations. For the latter
Japan needs the support of African countries as it aims to obtain a permanent seat on the Security Council under the "G4" (Japan, Germany, Brazil, India) and sub-Saharan countries account for a quarter votes in the UN General Assembly. For the first point is obvious for the past two decades, Japan's Africa policy revolves mainly around its development assistance to what has been called "Diplomacy of the portfolio (or checkbook)": "Japan has committed in sub-Saharan Africa through its Official Development Assistance (13). Thus in the case of our example Djibouti, cooperation with this country does not stop the fight against piracy. Japan also opens an embassy there and multiply development projects: building a solar power plant and the installation of a thousand solar panels by 2012 (14), donated $ 35 million in 2009, Bilateral aid rose from $ 2 million in 2007 to 22 million in 2008 and 24 million in 2009, construction and equip a training center for teachers, cooperation agreement in the fight against drought (more than 5.5 million dollars), dialysis centers, production studios for Radio Television of Djibouti (nearly 10 million dollars), schools, agricultural equipment (15) ...
From the 1990s, becoming one of the major bilateral donors on the continent, Japan has been involved politically. With the law PKO (Peacekeeping Operation) passed in 1992 and which regulates the conditions for cooperation in peacekeeping, Japan increased her participation in peace efforts: financial contribution to UNOSOM in 1992, monitoring of elections in Angola the same year (UNAVEM2), sending transport units of troops in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) in 1994, relief to Rwandan refugees in Zaire (UNAMIR) . Then it was the first country to launch non-colonizer in 1993 Lecture Series of the TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) to explain the development projects he had in Africa. The idea of South-South cooperation has grown from that first conference, although in some TICAD has just endorsed the existing development strategies (16). However at the beginning of the century, Japanese aid has been under severe budget constraints coupled with reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ODA, which enabled Japan to adopt a comprehensive approach, whereas before it separated its activities Help those related to conflict resolution. G8 Miyazaki (July 2000) foreign ministers have adopted this comprehensive approach, the pre-conflict to post conflict and Japan to make public its own program: "Action Japan" which indicated terms of its development policy to eliminate potential causes of conflict. Furthermore it is noted that since 2006 the share of aid to Africa (34.2% of total) exceeded that of Asia, which concentrated until most of the aid (and even 98.2 % in 1970) (17). At the fourth meeting of TICAD IV in May 2008, Tokyo has even announced a doubling of its aid to Africa.
The Foreign Ministry expressed its commitment to conflict prevention: "The issues of development and political stability are closely link (...) Japan is (...) to perform a certain role and conduct independent efforts in terms of African development and conflict issues, which are inherent in his position on the international stage. (18) "Today Japan support the appropriation through the African regional bodies and despite a few disappointments including the use of money by the African Union for the operation of peacekeeping in Darfur (UNAMID) . Now the priority is to fund training in regional centers of excellence. Tokyo provides financial support to the 9 centers of excellence. Unlike the former colonial powers and funding partnership that focuses on their areas of influence, Japan, which has no historical roots in Africa, investing in the 5 regions. Only NASBRIG (Brigade to North Africa) has given special attention by supporting the Cairo Center for Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping Training in Africa in Egypt. This region is in some ways become their area of preference (19).
Conclusion
Japan embarked on a series of major changes since the early 1990s and the creation of this database to Djibouti is a further step in its empowerment on the international scene at a time when the archipelago is isolated both in its region and worldwide. Africa is an axis of its foreign policy, Tokyo intends to play a major role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. His growing involvement in Eastern Africa, how unstable the area of the continent, is a gateway to a more political diplomacy on the continent.
11 Inoguchi Takashi, "Japan's Foreign Policy in year area of Global Change, London, 1993, Pinter Publishers, P175. 12 Jean
Esmein (under direction.), "The bases of the power of Japan, Paris, College de France, the Foundation for National Defense Studies, 1988, 348 p.
13 K. Enoki, "Japan's Africa policy ', speech at the University of Hokkaigakuin, June 30, 2000, quoted by Shozo Kamo," From the economic commitment to political engagement. New directions for African politics in Japan, "in contemporary Africa, Winter 2004, p.55-66.
14 "Japanese Counterpart in Djibouti," in Indian Ocean Newsletter, No. 1275, December 12, 2009. Yasser Hassan Boullo
15, "Strengthening cooperation between Djibouti and Japan, Djibouti Information Agency, June 21, 2010.
Minoru Obayashi 16 (edited by). "Afurka No Chosen" ["The challenges of Africa"], Showa-do, 2003, cited by Makoto Sato and Chris Alden, 'Diplomacy Japanese aid and Africa "in contemporary Africa, Winter 2004, p.13-31.
17 Aicardi de Saint-Marc Paul, "Japan-Africa: genesis of a lasting relationship," in Geostrategic, No. 26, 1st quarter 2010, p.195. 18
MOFA, "Japan's contribution to the prevention and resolution of conflicts in Africa", Tokyo, 2000.
19 Interview with author in Djibouti June 5, 2010.
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