By Kirubel Tadesse

* Japan, AU intensify ties

The Japanese government is going to build new military facilities in neighboring Djibouti.

Japan’s first foreign military base since World War II was launched in Africa last year in an effort to boost the fight against Somali pirates preying on vital shipping lanes.

Unofficial estimates show that 90 percent of Japan’s exports are shipped through the Gulf of Aden north into the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

According to Kinichi Komano, Ambassador of Japan in Ethiopia, since April 2009 Japan has deployed two military ships in the region Gulf of Aden and two reconnaissance airplanes as contribution by Japan to the international effort against piracy.

“These military ships and reconnaissance airplanes are using Djibouti airport for refueling and also for supplying water and food in the operation that has been ongoing since April 2009. The two reconnaissance airplanes are deployed in Djibouti international airport. Their staff members including pilots, mechanics and also guards are now living in the U.S camp there. But it is not our intention for them to be accommodated there for long. That is why we asked the government of Djibouti to lease us a plot in the airport so that we can construct facilities for accommodating these Japanese staff and two reconnaissance airplanes,” Ambassador Komano said this week in a Capital exclusive interview.

Japanese personnel are currently housed in accommodations rented from the U.S. base at Camp Lemmonier, a former French Foreign Legion installation near Djibouti’s airport.

“A few weeks ago an agreement for leasing a plot of land in the airport has been signed between representatives of the two governments,” The Ambassador said adding that construction of the new facilities will begin shortly.

In unrelated development senior officials of the Japanese Government and the African Union Commission held talks early this month in Tokyo.

According to a joint communiqué issued after a meeting between Katsuya Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), the two sides on August 2 exchanged views on wide-ranging issues of concern to the international community and on the role to be played by Japan and the African Union.

“Our relations with the AU has been minimal compared to other partners and donors,” Ambassador Komano said in the Capital interview.

Both sides now want to improve the relationship. Aiming to further enhance their cooperation in various fields such as peace and security and development, AUC and Japan agreed to hold high-level policy talks regularly and also make use of various other opportunities to enhance mutual dialogue.

The Japanese side expressed its willingness to consider providing technical assistance through training courses for the staff of the Commission.

The Japanese Ambassador in the interview talked about this growing AUC-Japan tie, and Ethiopian Japan relations. He also spoke about the recent comments of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi which compared the latest elections results of Ethiopia with a dominant party system that existed in Japan for decades. Capital will feature the full interview next week.

CapitalEthiopia