Japan's Okada Eyeing Enhanced Peacekeeping Role in Africa

Tokyo, Oct. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan hopes to beef up its
participation in U.N.-sponsored peacekeeping operations and other activities
to help build peace in Sudan, Somalia and other African countries, Foreign
Minister Katsuya Okada said Monday.

The government aims to amend Japan's law on its cooperation in
peacekeeping operations abroad in order to ease restrictions on the
Self-Defense Forces' participation, he said at a meeting with ambassadors
from African countries.
Okada also renewed Japan's pledge to double its official
development assistance to Africa by 2012, which was made at last year's
fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD IV.