Canada's mission in Africa will be focused on 'peacemaking,' UN ambassador says - 650 troops will be deployed to either Mali, Congo or the Central African Republic
Canada's ambassador to the UN says there will be "no quick fix" in Africa — a sign that Canadian peacekeepers waiting for deployment there could be in for a long-term commitment to the region ravaged by civil war and terrorism.
"There is no quick fix for anything in peace and security in some areas of the world and in the regions [Canada is considering for a mission]," Marc-André Blanchard said in an interview with CBC Radio's The House. He said while the road ahead might be dangerous for Canadian troops, the country has an obligation to intervene to prevent the violence from reaching our shores.
The government announced Friday it will commit $450 million to peace operations and the Canadian Armed Forces will, on top of existing commitments in the Middle East, eastern Europe and elsewhere, deploy up to 600 troops as part of the mission to Africa...