Canada’s Mali extension shortens medevac gap, but questions remain over when replacements will arrive

Canada has announced a limited extension of its helicopter medical evacuation capability as part of the United Nations' Mali peacekeeping mission, but critics say it's not enough. Global Affairs announced on June 14 that Canada will start a “gradual departure” from Mali at the end of July, but it will maintain its medical evacuation operation until the end of August. It remains to be seen when the Romanian peacekeeping contingent, which is replacing the Canadian task force, can deploy to Mali. “This was made part of a smart pledge, and part of the smart pledging is to make sure that there are people coming after you,” said Walter Dorn, a defence studies professor at Kingston’s Royal Military College and Toronto’s Canadian Forces College. Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured at a March 18 press conference, announced on June 14 that Canada's Mali peacekeeping force will start a 'gradual departure' starting at the end of July. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade 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 the smart-pledge system involves narrowing gaps, but the capability gap still remains in Mali. The Romanian Ministry of Defence previously told The Hill Times that its peacekeeping detachment will be composed of 120 people and four IAR-330 PUMA L-SAR helicopters, which are said to be half the size of the aircraft Canada is using for medical evacuations. The Canadian task force in Mali has performed 10 medical evacuations since it deployed. Speaking to reporters last week, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan (Vancouver South, B.C.) said the work has already started to facilitate a transition to the Romanians, but said there wasn't an exact date when Romania could become operational. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) said on June 14 a Romanian liaison team is on the ground in Mali preparing for the changeover. Canada is offering four C-17 flights to help move Romanian personnel and equipment to Camp Castor in Gao, Mali. There has to be a capability gap of “several weeks,” according to a House Defence Committee report, as Camp Castor is too small to have both the Canadian and Romanian personnel and equipment on the ground at the same time. “Based on the information that we have, and we’ve been able to come with the conclusion that having a thorough handover, focusing strictly on medical evacuation missions, is going to allow for the same handover that we had received,” Mr. Sajjan said. The extension announcement comes after both Mr. Sajjan and Ms. Freeland repeatedly said that the mission would not be extended beyond July. For months, the UN was lobbying the Canadian government to reduce the gap in medical evacuation capability. A UN peacekeeping spokesperson told The Hill Times in an email that the extension will "help facilitate the transition" to the Romanian peacekeeping task force until it becomes operational. NDP MP Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, B.C.), his party's defence critic, previously said the UN asked Canada to extend its mission until Sept. 15. The Canadian task force performed two medical evacuations between Sept. 1 and Sept. 15 last year. Prof. Dorn said if there was a fatal attack resulting in peacekeepers dying during the period the UN is without a medical evacuation capability, Canada's would hold responsibility for the deaths. In February, a spokesperson for the Romanian Ministry of Defence told The Hill Times in a statement that the Romanian contingent won't be deployed until Oct. 15. Multiple emails asking to confirm the date the Romanian mission will become operational were not returned. Canada's peacekeeping task force in Mali began a year-long deployment last August in the northwestern African country that has been facing instability since a peace accord was signed in 2015. It is the most dangerous UN peacekeeping mission, with 198 UN personnel killed as of the end of April. The mission is comprised of nearly 15,000 military and police personnel, coming from 57 countries. Conflict-related fatalities remain high in Mali. Compared to 318 deaths in 2016, there were 1,760 in 2018, which was the deadliest year since the beginning of the conflict in 2012. A June 10 attack on the Dogon ethnic group in the central Malian village of Sobane-Kou resulted in the deaths of 95 people. It is believed to be in response to a Dogon attack on members of the Fulani ethnic group that killed almost 160 three months ago, according to an Al Jazeera report. The Canadian task force has performed 10 medical evacuations as of June 14. Photograph courtesy of the Department of National Defence/Ken Beliwicz Canada's task force in Mali consists of 250 soldiers, as well as three CH-147F Chinook helicopters and five CH-146 Griffon helicopters. When Canada starts its gradual withdrawal at the end of July, 170 peacekeepers along with two Chinooks and four Griffons will remain in Mali, according to a Department of National Defence spokesperson. 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 contribution has “substantially contributed” and allowed for increased support to civilians and militaries in Mali, allowing UN peacekeepers to operate away from fixed medical facilities. Peacekeeping a lower priority, says former Dion adviser Jocelyn Coulon, a former policy adviser to then-foreign affairs minister Stéphane Dion, said when Ms. Freeland took over from Mr. Dion there was a move away from the UN and peace operations and a greater focus on NATO missions. Mr. Coulon was responsible for planning a re-engagement in peacekeeping while working in Mr. Dion's ministerial office. “I find very strange that the government renews quickly commitment to Ukraine and Latvia. They never pose any problem. There's no operational problem to renew commitment” Mr. Coulon said. “But when you talk about these operations, there's problems. we have to bring back the helicopters.” “I think there's no political willingness to stay a little bit longer in Mali,” he said. Mr. Coulon said much of hesitation about the Mali mission comes down to the government's fear of risk. Speaking to The Hill Times from Gao in April, Canadian task force commander Col. Travis Morehen said the mission isn't a high-risk one, as most of the attacks on peacekeepers have come from IEDs along roads. As of April 9, the Canadian peacekeepers had not been targeted by hostile fire, to the best of their knowledge, he said. Prof. Dorn said there has only been one confirmed Western peacekeeper killed since the mission began. He added they aren't being actively targeted and they are deployed in a safer position. Mr. Coulon said when planning for the mission began in 2016, the risk was fully known and the government was briefed on the risk. House Defence Committee chair Stephen Fuhr says the extension of medical evacuation capability falls in line with committee's recommendations on the peacekeeping mission. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade “Something happened at the office of the prime minister, the prime minister no longer willing to take these risks,” Mr. Coulon said. When Ms. Freeland took over the job as Canada's top diplomat, Mr. Coulon was told by then-chief of staff Jeremy Broadhurst that his position in the foreign affairs office was no longer needed, as the files he undertook—peacekeeping, multilateralism, and Africa—were not priorities of Ms. Freeland, Mr. Coulon wrote in his book Canada is Not Back. Prof. Dorn said neither Ms. Freeland or Mr. Sajjan are champions of a large Canadian contribution to peacekeeping, adding Mr. Dion was “much more favourable” to UN peacekeeping. Mr. Coulon and Prof. Dorn said the peacekeeping rhetoric of the Liberals, doesn't match the commitments, as they were slow to commit a small task force to Mali, and have made no other significant peacekeeping commitments. In a June 14 statement, Ms. Freeland said "Canada is committed to UN peacekeeping missions, which we view as a vital tool to building peace and stability around the world." Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr (Kelowna–Lake Country, B.C.), the chair of the House Defence Committee, said Canada is participating in a “wide cross section of military operations,” including UN, NATO, and others. He added the Canadian military has been “actively involved” in a number of high-priority missions, and they understand the importance of all of them. “Otherwise we wouldn't be doing them,” Mr. Fuhr said. Prof. Dorn said by September, the number of Canadian peacekeepers deployed by Canada will be below the levels under former prime minister Stephen Harper. In the 2015 election campaign, then-candidate Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que) promised Canada's return to peacekeeping. Extension 'falls in line' with what Defence Committee recommended to government: chair Mr. Fuhr said the gradual departure and extension of the medical evacuations “falls in line” with the recommendations in an April report on the Mali mission. The report called on Canada to adhere to its one-year departure date, and recommended Canada examine what could be done to expedite the Canadian-Romanian transition. Mr. Fuhr said the extra month gets Canada “a lot closer” to reducing the capability gap as much as possible given the need for some breathing room at the base. He added that the Romanian arrival date could be moving up, given the Canadian offer of the C-17 strategic airlift, which the committee recommended. “There has been a lot of flexibility in trying to help get a replacement into theatre, with the strategic airlift, with staying a little bit long in regards to the medical evacuation capability,” Mr. Fuhr said. “I think those are both good things and necessary.” nmoss@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

Canada’s Mali extension shortens medevac gap, but questions remain over when replacements will arrive

The Canadian government's commitment to peacekeeping weakened following the removal of Stéphane Dion as foreign affairs minister, says former adviser Jocelyn Coulon.

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Canada’s Mali extension shortens medevac gap, but questions remain over when replacements will arrive

The Canadian government's commitment to peacekeeping weakened following the removal of Stéphane Dion as foreign affairs minister, says former adviser Jocelyn Coulon.

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