Canada adds 20 police officers to mission in Mali
Cops expected to support UN and EU operations
OTTAWA— The federal government will send up to 20 police officers to Mali, bolstering a Canadian mission taking shape in the troubled African nation, a deployment that comes with sobering warnings about the risks personnel will face in the coming deployment.
Federal officials announced the intention to send civilian police officers Thursday as they provided an overview of Canada’s support for Mali, including Operation Presence, the military operation to support the United Nations peace mission attempting to rid the country of Islamic extremist forces.
That year-long deployment will come together over the coming weeks as personnel and equipment arrive in Mali from Canada with the hopes that by mid-August, the Canadians will be ready to begin operations.
It’s expected the police officers will arrive later in the fall to support UN and European Union operations there.
Officials also said that more federal funding will be earmarked for Mali to assist with counter-terror operations.
The military is sending 250 personnel to support three CH-147F Chinook transport helicopters and five armed CH-146 Griffon helicopters that will serve as armed escorts. Their main task will be to provide round-the-clock medical evacuation for other members of the UN mission or civilians who are wounded or injured. The helicopters will also help move troops and equipment.
Another 10 military members will work in the UN mission headquarters.
The mission in Mali ranks as the deadliest UN operation underway, as 104 soldiers have been killed so far through “malicious” acts.
Another 60 have died due to accidents and illness.
“We are fully aware of the environment we are deploying in- to and the risk our personnel may face,” said one official.
The officials all spoke on the condition that they not be named by journalists.
Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of the defence staff, has said that the risk to Canadian personnel will be minimized by the nature of their operation, which will involve flying in helicopters, not moving on the ground where they would be exposed to surprise attacks or roadside bombs.
When deployed for a patient pick-up, the Chinook will stay on the ground for as short a time as possible.
In addition to the medical team, the transport helicopters will also carry a small number of soldiers who will form a protective cordon as soon as it touches down.
They will have the authority to defend themselves.
But officials warned Canadians on Thursday that the mission carries real dangers.
“Canadians should be prepared for risks. But they should also be aware that, of course, we’ve done everything we can to mitigate those risks.
“We’re confident that the team we’re sending has the right equipment, has the right training,” one official told the briefing.
The big risk to the operation could be the environment, as weather there is unpredictable and features sandstorms, hot temperatures, and an ever-present abrasive dust that could pose problems for helicopters and drive up maintenance bills.