New video 'found' of SDF activities in 2016 in South Sudan

The Defense Ministry has "found" video from the Self-Defense Forces' peacekeeping operations in South Sudan in 2016 that it once contended did not exist.

However, in finally getting around to releasing the video, the images have been blurred to an extent to make them virtually indistinguishable.

In April 2018, The Asahi Shimbun submitted an information disclosure request to the ministry for video of the Self-Defense Forces' peacekeeping operations in South Sudan.

The released video, which lasts for two minutes and 55 seconds, was taken between July 8 and July 12, 2016, by a Ground SDF unit dispatched to South Sudan.

That was a period of fighting in the South Sudan capital of Juba between government and rebel forces. The video was edited as part of a report to be sent to the Defense Ministry.

The heavy pixelation on the video was conducted because Defense Ministry officials said not doing so could lead to problems in carrying out duties because it would lead to conjecture about the SDF operations, its capabilities and level of training.

The footage shows much more danger to GSDF forces from the military conflict raging in South Sudan at the time than what was being reported to the public.

One scene with the subtitle indicating it was taken from a security camera shows fire and smoke spewing into the sky. There is another scene of shells landing within the SDF base.

The video is part of information that freelance journalist Yujin Fuse asked for in an information disclosure request he submitted in December 2016 seeking the daily logs kept by the GSDF about their operations in South Sudan. In September 2017, the Defense Ministry released a number of still photos, but said no videos existed.

Fuse submitted an appeal and submitted another request after including specific details about when and where the video was taken.

In February 2018, Defense Ministry officials said an additional search had turned up additional documents. A three-second video was first given to Fuse with a pledge to release the remaining video by December 2018.

Defense Ministry officials said the original search for the South Sudan video images was "insufficient."