ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN via Getty Images
防衛省は3月18日、南スーダン国連平和維持活動（PKO）に派遣されている陸上自衛隊員５人が首都ジュバ市内で南スーダン政府軍に一時拘束されたと発表した。5人は約1時間後に釈放されたという。時事ドットコムなどが報じた。
NHKニュースによると、5人は18日午前10時（日本時間午後4時）ごろ、護身用の銃器を持ってジュバ市内の陸自部隊宿営地から南約1.5キロの商店で買い物していた。そこで、武器の取締りを実施していた南スーダン政府軍から尋問を受け、商店から約4キロ離れた広場に連行された。5人は、PKO部隊の印が付いた戦闘服姿だったという。
南スーダンに派遣されているPKO要員は身分を保障されており、政府軍による武器取り締まりの対象ではなかった。毎日新聞によると、南スーダン政府は「一部兵士の誤解だった」と日本大使の抗議に対して謝罪した。政府軍兵士に陸自隊員が連行されるのは部隊派遣が始まった2012年1月以降、初めてだ。
日本政府は、陸自部隊約350人の5月末めどの撤収を10日に表明。菅義偉官房長官は「治安悪化が理由ではない」と説明していた。
■関連スライドショー（南スーダンPKO）
南スーダンPKO
Japan's Troops in South Sudan (01 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two.\n (Photo by Bruno Bierrenbach Feder/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan (02 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two.\n (Photo by Bruno Bierrenbach Feder/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan (03 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two.\n (Photo by Bruno Bierrenbach Feder/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan(04 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Ambassador of Japan to South Sudan Kiya Masahiko (L) welcomes Japanese 63th troop personnel upon their arrival at Juba airport in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan(05 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan(06 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan(07 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan(08 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Japan's Troops in South Sudan(09 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: Japanese 63th troop personnel arrive at Juba airport to take part in U.N. peacekeeping activities including rescue operations, in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. The mission begins with the deployment of 350 troops in South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations as it\'s their first overseas fighting since World War Two. (Photo by Bruno Bierrenbach Feder/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
SSUDAN-JAPAN-UN-TROOPS(10 of18)
Members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) prepare the arrival of new troops at the compound of the United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) upon their arrival in Juba, South Sudan, on November 21, 2016. \nA United Nations plane landed in the morning at Juba airport with 60 new Japanese peacekeepers as the first group of the 350-strong unit, which will replace the current Japanese troops at the UN mission in South Sudan. The group, mostly engineers, will construct roads and facilities and are also assigned for the first time under Japans new security law, which enables GSDF troops to use weapons to rescue UN staff under attack. / AFP / ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN (Photo credit should read ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN via Getty Images)
SSUDAN-JAPAN-UN-TROOPS(11 of18)
Members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) arrive by bus at the base at the compound of the United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) in Juba, South Sudan, on November 21, 2016.\nA United Nations plane landed in the morning at Juba airport with 60 new Japanese peacekeepers as the first group of the 350-strong unit, which will replace the current Japanese troops at the UN mission in South Sudan. The group, mostly engineers, will construct roads and facilities and are also assigned for the first time under Japans new security law, which enables GSDF troops to use weapons to rescue UN staff under attack. / AFP / ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN (Photo credit should read ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN via Getty Images)
SSUDAN-JAPAN-UN-DEFENCE(12 of18)
Members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF) arrive to the compound of the United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) after they landed in Juba, South Sudan, on November 21, 2016. \nA UN plane landed in the morning at Juba airport with 60 new Japanese peacekeepers as the first group of the 350-strong unit, which will replace the current Japanese troops at the UN mission in South Sudan. The group, mostly engineers, will construct roads and facilities and are also assigned for the first time under Japans new security law, which enables GSDF troops to use weapons to rescue UN staff under attack. / AFP / ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN (Photo credit should read ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN via Getty Images)
63rd Japanese brigade to UN Peacekeeping arrive in South Sudan(13 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: The 63rd Japanese brigade to UN Peacekeeping arrive at the Juba International Airport in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. Japan sent troops abroad for the first time since the end of World War II for the UN peacekeeping deployment. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
63rd Japanese brigade to UN Peacekeeping arrive in South Sudan(14 of18)
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - NOVEMBER 21: The 63rd Japanese brigade to UN Peacekeeping arrive at the Juba International Airport in Juba, South Sudan on November 21, 2016. Japan sent troops abroad for the first time since the end of World War II for the UN peacekeeping deployment. (Photo by Bullen Chol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
SOUTHSUDAN/(15 of18)
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeepers from Japan assemble a drainage pipe at Tomping camp, where some 15,000 people who fled their homes following recent fighting are sheltered by the United Nations, in Juba January 7, 2014. REUTERS/James Akena (SOUTH SUDAN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS SOCIETY CONFLICT) (credit:James Akena / Reuters)
SOUTHSUDAN-AIRPLANE/CRASH(16 of18)
United Nations aviation experts from Japan investigate the wreckage of a cargo airplane that crashed after take off near Juba Airport in South Sudan November 5, 2015. A Russian-built cargo plane with passengers on board crashed on Wednesday after taking off from the airport in South Sudan\'s capital, killing dozens of people, witnesses said. An official said three people on board survived. REUTERS/Jok Solomun (credit:XXSTRINGERXX xxxxx / Reuters)
SOUTHSUDAN-AIRPLANE/CRASH(17 of18)
United Nations aviation experts from Japan investigate the wreckage of a cargo airplane that crashed after take off near Juba Airport in South Sudan November 5, 2015. A Russian-built cargo plane with passengers on board crashed on Wednesday after taking off from the airport in South Sudan\'s capital, killing dozens of people, witnesses said. An official said three people on board survived. REUTERS/Jok Solomun (credit:XXSTRINGERXX xxxxx / Reuters)
SOUTHSUDAN-AIRPLANE/CRASH(18 of18)
United Nations aviation experts from Japan investigate the wreckage of a cargo airplane that crashed after take off near Juba Airport in South Sudan November 5, 2015. A Russian-built cargo plane with passengers on board crashed on Wednesday after taking off from the airport in South Sudan\'s capital, killing dozens of people, witnesses said. An official said three people on board survived. REUTERS/Jok Solomun (credit:XXSTRINGERXX xxxxx / Reuters)
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