Kelowna Lake Country MP Stephen Fuhr got a first-hand view of the work Canada is doing to bring stability to Mali.
Fuhr was part of the Canadian government乌鸦传媒檚 defence committee visit to the west African country as part of Operation PRESENCE乌鸦传媒擬ali, Canada乌鸦传媒檚 effort to help set conditions for peace and development in Mali.
Fuhr, a 20-year military veteran, said he was happy with what he saw of the the operation during his 10 days in the area, where food, water, unemployment and issues of inequality have been reported.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 18 million people in Mali, and it乌鸦传媒檚 in a fragile state,乌鸦传媒� said Fuhr.
乌鸦传媒淐anada is there supporting the community and stabilizing the region. (Our troops) set the bar very high, and everyone we talked to was happy that the Canadians were there.乌鸦传媒�
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The Canadian operation is in support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which has been a combined effort by troops from Germany, Canada, Romania, and others to stabilize the area.
Just last week three UN peacekeepers were killed in the area of Siby, near the capital, Bamako.
The UN reports that, MINUSMA is the deadliest mission to serve in as a UN 乌鸦传媒榖lue helmet.乌鸦传媒�
More than 180 have died, since it was established in 2013. In 2019 alone, the number of fatalities stands at 15.
Canadian Forces have provided medical evacuations, helping more UN forces through the area, and has helped save lives with the delivery of blood products, something Fuhr said Canada is the first to be able to do.
His committee乌鸦传媒檚 mission was to learn from the ongoing operation and report back in order to work towards an administrative analysis on the country乌鸦传媒檚 response to the global conflict resolution.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檒l make recommendations to the government of Canada on what we can do better, or differently in the area,乌鸦传媒� said Fuhr.
Part of the committee乌鸦传媒檚 report will detail the best, and safest, ways for the transition of Canadian troops out of the area, so Romania乌鸦传媒檚 forces can replace the Canadians in the best possible way.
Canada乌鸦传媒檚 expected to pull out of the area in July, said Fuhr.
乌鸦传媒淐anada is there for a humanitarian and compassion problem, and it is dangerous. But the (Canadian Armed) Forces are experts at mitigating risks,乌鸦传媒� he added.
乌鸦传媒淐anada has the ability to help, and that乌鸦传媒檚 what we do. It乌鸦传媒檚 something we can be very proud of.乌鸦传媒�
Mali is the eighth largest country in Africa and one of the poorest in the world.
It was destabilized after al-Qaeda-linked fighters took control of the northern areas of the country in early 2012.
France intervened, militarily, but Central Mali remains unstable owing to a resurgence of violence between ethnic groups, notably Fulani nomadic herders and Dogon farmers over access to land.
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