Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Friday ordered the Self-Defense Forces to begin their withdrawal from South Sudan, where they were deployed for five years as part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

The fledgling African country gained independence from Sudan in 2011, and the Ground Self-Defense Force was tasked with building roads and other infrastructure while stationed in Juba, the capital.

As part of the procedure, however, the government decided at a Cabinet meeting the same day to extend the participation of the GSDF's civil engineering unit for two more months through May 31.