Japanese aid to Africa surges

TOKYO – Japan’s aid to Africa has surged this year as it tries to secure support from the continent for its cherished but increasingly distant goal of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Africa accounted for 40 per cent of Japan’s grant aid around the world between January and July compared with 25 per cent in the same period last year, a foreign ministry official said Thursday. In monetary figures, grants for Africa which do not include loans rose 35 per cent year-on-year to 45,6 billion yen (N$2,6 billion) in the seven months to July.Japan pledged in April to double its aid to Africa by the end of 2007 ahead of a Group of Eight meeting that had been aimed at fighting poverty in the continent.Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura has earlier said Japan will step up aid in its bid for a Security Council seat but also threatened to reconsider its sizeable funding of the United Nations if it fails.Japan had banked on support from Africa and other parts of the developing world to win a seat on the Security Council, whose structure still reflects the power balance at the end of World War II.But Japan indicated last week it may put its bid on hold after an emergency African Union summit refused to drop demands for two permanent veto-wielding seats for the continent on an enlarged Security Council.The African position precluded the continent from backing the joint bid for permanent Security Council seats by Japan with Brazil, Germany and India.China, one of five nations that has veto power on the Security -Council, is strongly opposed to the UN bid, saying Japan must do more to show regret for its past aggression in Asia.The United States has backed Japan’s candidacy but not the bids of Brazil, Germany and India and has refused to support a deadline of September to decide on the historic changes.-Nampa-AFPIn monetary figures, grants for Africa which do not include loans rose 35 per cent year-on-year to 45,6 billion yen (N$2,6 billion) in the seven months to July.Japan pledged in April to double its aid to Africa by the end of 2007 ahead of a Group of Eight meeting that had been aimed at fighting poverty in the continent.Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura has earlier said Japan will step up aid in its bid for a Security Council seat but also threatened to reconsider its sizeable funding of the United Nations if it fails.Japan had banked on support from Africa and other parts of the developing world to win a seat on the Security Council, whose structure still reflects the power balance at the end of World War II.But Japan indicated last week it may put its bid on hold after an emergency African Union summit refused to drop demands for two permanent veto-wielding seats for the continent on an enlarged Security Council.The African position precluded the continent from backing the joint bid for permanent Security Council seats by Japan with Brazil, Germany and India.China, one of five nations that has veto power on the Security -Council, is strongly opposed to the UN bid, saying Japan must do more to show regret for its past aggression in Asia.The United States has backed Japan’s candidacy but not the bids of Brazil, Germany and India and has refused to support a deadline of September to decide on the historic changes.-Nampa-AFP