Trudeau visits peacekeepers in Mali, defends decision not to extend mission
GAO, Mali — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised the work of hundreds of peacekeepers during a surprise visit here on Saturday even as he defended his government’s refusal to extend their mission several months to help the United Nations.
The visit to this hot, dusty camp in northern Mali was Trudeau’s first since 250 Canadian troops and eight helicopters arrived this summer to begin providing lifesaving medical evacuations for wounded UN peacekeepers and workers.
It will also likely be the prime minister’s only visit, as operations are currently scheduled to wind down at the end of July — even though the UN and some allies would like Canada to stay until Romanian replacements arrive in the fall.
Trudeau flew into Gao aboard a military transport plane — and under a veil of secrecy due to security concerns — with a delegation that included Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.