education while addressing primary and post-primary education in a well-balanced manner. Furthermore, with regard to the Fast Track Initiative (FTI), $ ^{5} $ it was confirmed that the G8 along with other donors would continue to make efforts to mobilize resources to meet the shortfall in FTI-endorsed countries estimated at US1 billion, while supporting the improvement of FTI's effectiveness through an external evaluation. The G8 will submit a report on G8 progress to support FTI at the next G8 summit. As G8 chair, Japan has worked as the co-chair of FTI since January 2008, deeply engaged in FTI discussion and management. In April 2008, the FTI Technical Meeting and other related meetings were held in Tokyo. Japan has also been providing a large amount of assistance to FTI-endorsed countries through bilateral and multilateral channels.

### 4. Consolidation of Peace

## (1) Visible Signs of Peace

Sub-Saharan Africa faces a complex range of factors such as poverty, ethnic and religious conflicts, economic interests, and independence issues that spawn from such causes as the artificial demarcation lines and the fragile national foundations. After the end of the Cold War, there has been an increase in struggles for power and resources between governmental and rebel forces, conflicts between tribes, and conflicts between states. These conflicts have not only spawned a vast number of casualties along with extensive refugees and internally displaced persons, but also have created a vicious circle of economic stagnation, dismantled infrastructure, and worsening poverty, while causing numerous human security problems including epidemics of infectious diseases.

However, in recent years Africa has displayed a trend for self-help efforts as it independently and proactively works to prevent and resolve conflicts. These efforts have been made by various states, the African Union (AU), as well as by regional economic communities (RECs) including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the South African Development Community (SADC). These efforts have resulted in signs of peace throughout regions, such as the conclusion of civil war in Sierra Leone (2002), the holding of a presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2006), the establishment of the Ouagadougou Agreement in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (2007), and the holding of a parliamentary election in Angola (2008). Furthermore, post-conflict efforts to ensure the consolidation of peace and to prevent the recurrence of the conflicts are underway, including the return and resettlement of displaced persons and refugees, the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants, countermeasures for landmines (including clearance of unexploded mines), and the collection of small-arms.

## (2) Support to Enhance Africa's Own Peacekeeping Capabilities

In January 2008, then Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced that Japan would play a responsible role in the international community as a peace fostering nation that contributes to global peace and development. This statement indicates Japan’s determination to continue to support the consolidation of peace in regions including Africa.

At the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) in 2003, Japan set assistance for the consolidation of peace as one of the Conference’s pillars. Japan fulfilled all of its commitments made at TICAD III over a five-year period ending in May 2008, disbursing approximately US$760 million worth of assistance for the consolidation of peace. At TICAD IV in 2008 as well, Japan raised the consolidation of peace in Africa as one of the priority issues, stressing the importance of the following points:

First, peacebuilding consists of numerous processes including conflict prevention, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, maintenance and recovery of public order, and the realization of democratic governance. It is important that donor countries and multilateral organizations work together on these processes in a seamless and irreversible manner.

Second, it is important to devise ways to prevent conflicts or minimize damage in the event of a conflict. From the perspective of conflict prevention, it is also important to eliminate potential causes for conflict, such as disparity in wealth and disputes over water, land, and resources.