Japanese minister to visit Sudan
Updated
Japan will send its senior vice foreign minister, Itsunori Onodera, to Sudan on Friday for a five-day visit to the war-torn Darfur region.
Mr Onodera will be the highest-ranking Japanese official to visit Darfur.
He's scheduled to visit the Sudanese capital Khartoum, refugee camps and the joint UN-African Union mission in Darfur.
Mr Onodera will also hold talks with UN and Sudanese officials and urge the Sudanese government to resolve the Darfur crisis.
Analysts say Japan is considering joining the UN mission to Sudan, despite sensitivity over restrictions under its pacifist constitution.
