How To Improve Peacekeeping In Canada

Following the Second World War, Canada has made various efforts to improve its peacekeeping reputation; beginning with them joining the United Nations (UN) after its creation in 1945 they were mostly successful (“Canada and the United Nations.”). However, not all of their efforts have been successful; they have also made some mistakes along the way. Canada’s efforts within the last 60 years include the Suez Crisis in 1956, the United Nations Mission for Rwanda from 1993 to 1996 and United Nations Operation in Somalia in 1992. One of Canada’s first and most successful efforts to improve its peacekeeping reputation was their peacekeeping mission during the Suez Crisis that occurred in October 1956 (“Suez Crisis.”). The Suez Crisis was a battle …show more content…
After the fall of Somali President Siad Barre in 1991, there is a struggle between the two warlords, Mohamed Farah Aideed and Ali Mahdi Mohamed for control of the government, and a civil war occurs (Hogg, Annabel Lee.). With no government in control, the country plunges into chaos and ever since 1991, Somali has not had an effective government capable of performing its primary functions (Mohamud, Sahnun.). Along with the civil war there was a famine and limited food supplies, which has forced the entire country into starvation and an estimated 500,000 people die of starvation by 1992 (Operation Restore Hope.). In April 1992, the UN establishes the United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I) in order to provide humanitarian aid and restore peace, UNOSOM I was later replaced by the United Task force and after that UNOSOM II ("UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN SOMALIA I.”). Within UNOSOM II Canada had sent in soldiers from the Canadian Airborne Regiment (CAR) commanded by Colonel Serge Labbé (Dawson, Grant.). These Canadian soldiers had been responsible for the Somalia Affair, in which a few Canadian soldiers tortured and murdered multiple Somalians. One case within the Somalia Affair was when two Canadian soldiers tortured and shot a man for their own pleasure (Kelly, Brian.). What made this instance so controversial was the fact that an army surgeon named Dr. Barry Armstrong revealed that the man had been tortured for a few minutes before he had been shot, "execution-style in the head,” (“SOMALIA AFFAIR.”). Just 12 days after that incident, a Somali teenager named Shidane Arone was tortured and murdered for after being accused of sneaking around a Canadian army base to steal supplies (Gerster, Jane.). The members of the CAR responsible for the murders were put on trial and were persecuted for their actions; however one member was deemed