A flying visit! Canada PM Justin Trudeau makes a surprise stop to visit Canadian troops on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali
- Trudeau met with members of the 250-person brigade and awarded a medal to the commander of the Canadian Air Force stationed there
- ‘The peace process is unfolding in Mali and certainly our presence here is allowing it to unfold more quickly than it otherwise would,’ Trudeau said
- Canadian troops have been stationed in Mali on a peacekeeping mission since 2013 although most were deployed in 2018
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise holiday visit to Mali this weekend to see troops on a U.N. peacekeeping mission.
According to the prime minister’s press office, while in Mali Saturday Trudeau met with members of the 250-person brigade and awarded a medal to the commander of the Canadian Air Force stationed there.
He thanked the service members for their sacrifice in serving Canada far from their families during the holiday season.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way from a Chinook helicopter to watch a medical evacuation demonstration on the UN base in Gao, Mali, Saturday
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with the Prime Minister of Mali Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga as he arrives on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission base in Gao
‘The peace process is unfolding in Mali and certainly our presence here is allowing it to unfold more quickly than it otherwise would,’ Trudeau said at the base.
‘Nevertheless it is a difficult situation … and it’s going to be a significant amount of effort by the UN to stabilize this area.’
Trudeau also met with Mali’s Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga to discuss relations between the two countries.
Canadian troops have been stationed in Mali on a peacekeeping mission since 2013 although most were deployed in 2018.
No Canadian troops have been killed although more than 100 other peacekeepers have died in attacks by extremists and separatists.
Trudeau visiting Canadian troops at Camp Castor in Gao, Mali
Trudeau (center) visiting Canadian troops at Camp Castor in Gao, Mali, on Saturday
Trudeau watches as German and Canadian soldiers evacuate an injured soldier during a demonstration on the United Nations base