Self-Defense Forces members participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations in South Sudan have suspended their infrastructure building work and have started instead to provide support for displaced people seeking refuge from violence at U.N. facilities in the capital, Juba.
Col. Kenichi Igawa of the Ground Self-Defense Force recently told reporters that they are closely watching developments in the country mired in a growing conflict that could spiral into a civil war. They have no immediate plan to resume their original mission, Igawa, 45, said.
At two compounds for U.N. peacekeeping operations in Juba, around 20,000 people have taken refuge. GSDF troops are offering support to them by providing fresh water.