The term "combat" began to appear in daily reports compiled by a Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) unit participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations in South Sudan on the third day of clashes between government and anti-government forces in July last year.
The Defense Ministry released daily reports compiled by GSDF personnel deployed to South Sudan from July 7 to 9, 2016 -- when the security situation was worsening in areas where the GDSF was engaged in its peacekeeping mission -- to the largest opposition Democratic Party on Feb. 13.
The wording of the reports suggests the unit was cautiously choosing its words in the daily reports while paying close attention to the worsening security situation in South Sudan. With the latest release, the ministry, which had initially refused to disclose the unit's daily reports from July 7 to 12 in response to an information disclosure request, has publicized all of the reports. However, the reports disclosed by the ministry are partially blacked out.
The word "combat" first appeared in the July 9 report. "Combat appears to have broken out between SPLA (government forces) and SPLA-iO (anti-government forces) on the evening of July 8," the document says.
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