In August 2016, Canada pledged up to 600 Canadian Armed Forces personnel for possible deployment to UN peace operations. In November 2017, at the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Vancouver, further details were provided, including a quick reaction force of about 200 personnel and an Aviation Task Force. These forces would be part of the original 600 personnel commitment.
On Monday, March 19th, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan (finally) announced a second “smart pledge” on peacekeeping: “a commitment to deploy an Aviation Task Force to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for a period of 12 months.”
While the details of the mission remain few, there are already many questions.
- Why has the government chosen to commit to one year, rather than more?
- How will Canada’s participation be divided between supporting MINUSMA (the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the peacekeeping mission) and supporting Operation Barkhane (the French regional counter-terrorism force)? Note: Canada already assisting counterterror force in Mali, defence minister says (Toronto Star/Canadian Press, Lee Berthiaume, April 9 2018)
- Where is the promised training program to be delivered by Canadian troops?
What we know now
The Aviation Task Force was deployed in Mali and included Chinook and Griffon helicopters and approximately 250 personnel. The government has stated that “Canada remains committed to advancing gender equality in its deployment.”
April 2, 2019: Press release: Canada’s faltering support for UN peace operations
Preparing for peace: Myths and realities of Canadian peacekeeping training (A. Walter Dorn and Joshua Libben, International Journal 2018, Vol. 73(2) 257–281)
Statement from the World Federalist Movement – Canada (March 22 2018)
Press release from the government of Canada (Department of National Defence)
House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence
Canada’s Contributions to International Peacekeeping (including testimony and a written brief from WFMC President Walter Dorn)
From the United Nations
Media coverage
Canada sending troops to UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (CBC, Murray Brewster, March 16 2018)
The importance of Canada’s mission to Mali (Globe and Mail, Opinion, Robert Fowler, March 29 2018)
Make Mali about peacekeeping, not politics (The Globe and Mail, Lewis Mackenzie, April 19 2018)
Canadians for UN Peacekeeping 