Koizumi Visits Africa For UNSC Support?

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi ended a three-day visit to Ethiopia May 1, his first stop on a tour intended to round up support for a permanent seat for Japan on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC).

Koizumi arrived in Ghana today and will finish up his tour in Sweden on May 5.

A 2005 bid by Japan, Germany, Brazil and India to gain permanent seats on the UNSC failed because it was unable to gain enough support from the African Union.

The UNSC is composed of five permanent members ? China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States ? and ten non-permament members (with year of term's end):

Argentina (2006), Greece (2006), Qatar (2007) Congo (Republic of the) (2007) Japan (2006) Slovakia (2007) Denmark (2006) Peru (2007) United Republic of Tanzania (2006) Ghana (2007)