Mainichi claimed that despite intense pressure from Washington, the Japanese government is likely to oppose the adoption of the U.S.-drafted sanctions resolution on South Sudan in the belief that the proposed arms embargo would prompt the local government to retaliate against U.N. peacekeepers from Japan and elsewhere. CCS Suga told the press yesterday: “We will decide [on how to respond to the proposed motion] by taking into account what is needed for peace and stability in South Sudan. It is important to support the local government’s efforts. Yomiuri and Nikkei carried similar stories, with the former quoting an unnamed senior MOFA official as saying: “We don’t mind Japan being blamed for killing the resolution.” An unnamed high-ranking Japanese diplomat told the Nikkei yesterday: “We cannot accept the U.S. proposal,” while another MOFA official said it is “extremely unusual” for Tokyo to oppose a UN resolution pushed hard by Washington.