Re: Mali Mission

by **Forcell** Fri 21 Jun 2019, 7:55 pm

Romania maintains Mali deployment date hasn’t changed, leaving possible UN capability gap after Canada departs

By NEIL MOSS JUN. 21, 2019

A spokesperson for the Romanian Ministry of Defence said the Romania won't start its Mali peacekeeping mission until Oct. 15.

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Despite Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan saying there is not an exact date for the Romanian replacement peacekeepers to arrive in Mali, Romania maintains its original deployment date hasn’t changed.

Romania’s planned deployment date on Oct. 15 would mean that Canada could extend its aeromedical evacuation capability by an additional 15 days to provide the UN with the smallest gap between the Canadian task force departing and the Romanian setting up its medevac capability.

Speaking to reporters on June 14, Mr. Sajjan (Vancouver South, B.C.) said there wasn’t an “exactly an exact date” for the Romanians to become operational in Mali.

The UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali is considered to be its most dangerous ongoing operation, with nearly 200 peacekeepers being killed, as of the end of April, since peacekeepers were deployed in 2013. Conflict-related fatalities are on the rise, with 1,760 deaths in 2018—the deadliest year since the conflict began in 2012.

But the danger to Canadian peacekeepers is low. The commander of Canada’s Mali mission, Col. Travis Morehen, told The Hill Times in April that the majority of attacks against peacekeepers are from improvised explosive devices along roadsides, so since the task force travels by helicopter it isn’t a target of the threat.

A spokesperson for the Romanian Ministry of Defence said in an email to the The Hill Times that the country’s date of deployment remains the same as they announced in January, which was Oct. 15.
“The deployment will start in October 2019,” the spokesperson said.

Neither Mr. Sajjan’s office, nor the Department of National Defence, would answer why Romania has a set date for deployment, but the Canadian government thinks it isn’t set.

Walter Dorn, a defence studies professor at the Canadian Forces College and Royal Military College, said he hasn’t heard that the Romanians have moved their deployment date.

Prof. Dorn, who has served with the UN in a number of roles, including as the organization’s innovation and protection technology expert, from 2017 to 2018, said he spoke with Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Armed Forces, who said Canada is trying to see what can be done to help the Romanians deploy earlier.

Canada has offered Romania a strategic airlift of four C-17 flights to help them deploy peacekeepers and equipment to Mali.

If Canada does leave early, Prof. Dorn said, it would be responsible for the loss of peacekeeper lives if the UN is left without a medical evacuation capability.

Last week, Global Affairs Canada announced that the Canadian task force in Mali would have a “gradual withdrawal,” with a limited extension of Canada’s medical evacuation capability until the end of August. Originally, the task force was set to depart Mali following its one-year UN commitment.

A DND spokesperson told The Hill Times in an email that “a phased approach will ensure a smooth and efficient transition process,” adding the C-17 assistance offer and a small Canadian transition team in Mali will “minimize disruption in the availability of critical capabilities to [the UN mission] and help set up the Romanian rotation for operational success.”

Canada’s task force in Mali consists of 250 soldiers, as well as three CH-147F Chinook helicopters and five CH-146 Griffon helicopters. A DND spokesperson said when Canada starts the gradual withdrawal at the end of July, 170 peacekeepers, along with two Chinooks and four Griffons, will remain in Mali.

On medical evacuation calls, a Chinook serves as a “flying hospital,” and is accompanied by Griffon armed escorts.

The UN has remarked that the Canadian deployment has “substantially contributed” and allowed for increased support to civilians and militaries in Mali, allowing UN peacekeepers to operate away from fixed medical facilities.

Romania will be sending a smaller task force than Canada has deployed. It will include 120 peacekeepers and four IAR-330 PUMA L-SAR helicopters, which are said to be half the size of the Chinooks.

Mr. Sajjan said “a thorough handover” with a focus on medical evacuation missions will leave the same gap that existed between Germany leaving Mali in preparation of Canada arriving last year, and Canada leaving and Romania arriving. Two peacekeeping task forces can’t be deployed at the same time because of the size of Camp Castor in Gao, Mali, where the medical evacuation operation is based.

Mr. Sajjan said the gap has to be “approximately 30 days” to provide for one task force to leave and its replacements to arrive.

The UN lobbied for Canada to extend its medical evacuation operation to mitigate the gap they would be left without a military medevac operation. Without the Canadian operation, and before Romania’s capability can become operational, it is likely that the UN will retain a civilian medical evacuation operation, which couldn’t perform the same type of missions as a military medevac.

A UN peacekeeping spokesperson told The Hill Times in an email that Canada’s medevac extension until the end of August will “help facilitate the transition” to the Romanian peacekeeping task force until it becomes operational.

In a March letter to the Canadian government, the UN asked Canada to continue operations until Sept. 15, according to a Canadian Press report.

Medical evacuations operations are at random, with the Canadian task force being on 24/7 call to perform them when needed by the UN. During the period of Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 last year, Canada performed two of the 10 total medical evacuations it has performed since being deployed.

Asked if Canada would consider extending its medical evacuation operation until Sept. 15, Global Affairs Canada referred to a press release that says medevac operations will continue until Aug. 31.

nmoss@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/06/21/romania-maintains-mali-deployment-date-hasnt-changed-leaving-un-capability-gap-after-canada-departs/205373

by **Proctor** Sat 22 Jun 2019, 8:30 am

Alberta reservist helps keep the peace in Mali

HANNAH KOST June 21, 2019

Mali Mission - Page 11 Operation-presence-mali

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/alberta-reservist-helps-keep-peace-in-mali

by Spectrum Tue 06 Aug 2019, 1:57 pm

THE FEMALE PERSPECTIVE: DAL PHD CANDIDATE STUDIES WOMEN IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES

Alison Auld - August 6, 2019

https://www.dal.ca/news/2019/08/06/the-female-perspective--dal-phd-candidate-studies-women-in-the-c.html

by Zapper Sat 17 Aug 2019, 2:04 pm

After year in the desert, Canadian soldiers set to return home as Mali mission ends

Simon Nakonechny · CBC News · Posted: Aug 17, 2019

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/two-canadian-soldiers-as-mali-mission-ends-1.5251016

by Matrix Wed 28 Aug 2019, 8:37 pm

Canada to send team back to Mali to help Romania minimize gap in evacuations

CANADIAN PRESS August 28, 2019

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/national/canada-to-send-team-back-to-mali-to-help-romania-minimize-gap-in-evacuations/wcm/0bd86210-ba65-4747-8922-81ea4d4ab0f5

by Looper Fri 30 Aug 2019, 9:05 am

A mission that 'left a mark': Canadian helicopters coming home from Mali

Murray Brewster · CBC News · Posted: Aug 30, 2019

Mali Mission - Page 11 Cda-mali-20190408

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mali-chinook-griffon-united-nations-peacekeeping-un-1.5264748

by Seawolf Sun 01 Sep 2019, 5:48 pm

Canadian military wraps up Mali peacekeeping mission

CBC News · Posted: Sep 01, 2019

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-military-wraps-up-mali-peacekeeping-mission-1.5267352

by Rekert Tue 03 Sep 2019, 2:31 pm

Canadian Armed Forces conclude peacekeeping mission in Mali

Posted on September 3, 2019

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https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/canadian-armed-forces-conclude-peacekeeping-mission-in-mali/

by **Spider** Fri 06 Sep 2019, 8:32 am

Was Canada's Mali mission worth it? Absolutely

Brian Cox · for CBC News Opinion · Posted: Sep 06, 2019

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/mali-mission-1.5272076

by **Accer** Sun 15 Nov 2020, 5:12 pm

Canada pushed to help peace efforts underway in Mali

Published Nov. 15, 2020 2:24 p.m. ET
The Canadian Press

https://beta.cp24.com/news/2020/11/15/1_5189886.html?fbclid=IwAR2k9acUWbSGsrHw6Qdsp6sDAC4bWYtZ_khhDxotlCu_TYH3Q1Gt41fuDRs

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