Mali must not become another Afghanistan

In a shockingly dangerous county in the most dangerous part of the world, Canadian boots are now on the ground.

Officially, the deployment of Canadian troops to

Mali is still being referred to as a peacekeeping mission. But it is not. There is no peace to keep.

Ethnically divided — check. Weak central government — check. Porous borders that are neither respected or controllable — check. Poverty — check. A radical extremist enemy that views all outsiders as evil and thinks nothing of inflicting collateral damage — check. A hazy mandate with no clear ending — check.

Washington Post reporter Kevin Sieff did extensive reporting from the country in February. He writes: “It is a crisis that looks more like the U.S. ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan than the ceasefires traditionally monitored by UN missions.”

In military jargon, what Canada is part of in Mali is more like “peace imposition” than peacekeeping. If you think that sounds dangerous, you’re right. Since the UN operation began in 2013, more than 160 peacekeepers have been killed.

Former Canadian ambassador Robert Fowler recently wrote in the Globe and Mail: “The Islamists hate everything we represent. They also hate the United Nations with a vicious passion.”

How much does Mali resemble Canada’s Afghan mission?

Sieff describes attacks on UN convoys with improvised explosive devices.

He reported on cars armed with 1,000-pound bombs being driven into UN compounds by suicide attackers.

In terms of the risk facing Canadian troops, it’s important to note their role. The original deployment will consist of 250 personnel, but it could expand to 600 later. Their job is to support six helicopters, four armed Griffons and two larger Chinooks, to be used for medical evacuations.

The Canadian troops will be stationed inside wellfortified bases with expert protection from veteran combat troops. They won’t be in the field, training or acquiring targets.

That said, when Canada’s chief of defence staff General Jonathan Vance arrived at Gao, Mali, he landed at an installation that still bore recent marks of a rocket attack. Insurgents don’t differentiate between troops employed by the central government and those working under UN auspices. The blue peacekeeping helmets mean nothing.

Those helicopters have to fly. They, and the troops who support them, are replacing a German contingent. That contingent, and the one that came before it, both lost aircraft in the conflict.

So, is Canada’s latest mission a bad idea? It depends on your perspective, but from here the answer is no. Our country has an obligation, ethical, contractual and financial, to be an active participant in the work of the United Nations.

Our once sterling reputation as a leading peacekeeping nation was tarnished during 10 years of the Harper Conservatives.

Public opinion polls suggest the majority of Canadians agree we need to do this work.

But saying that and watching as the real thing unfolds are two different things. Especially for the troops, their families and friends, and for the military overall, this is where the rubber meets the road.

The Islamists hate everything we represent. They also hate the United Nations with a vicious passion. ROBERT FOWLER FORMER CANADIAN AMBASSADOR