Canada’s Dallaire to review UN Darfur plan – TV report

April 8, 2006 (TORONTO) — The United Nations will soon ask Sen. Romeo Dallaire to review a peacekeeping plan for Darfur — something that could mean deploying more Canadian troops there, the Candadian CTV News reported.

“It needs not developing country’s troops, it needs developed countries troops,” Dallaire, who witnessed the 1994 Rwandan genocide firsthand while commanding handcuffed UN troops, told CTV News about the Darfur situation.

“It needs troops from the northern countries, it needs troops from middle powers like Canada.”

MPs from all parties gathered this week to express sadness and horror at the ongoing violence that has killed more than 200,000 people and created more than three million refugees.

“As we gather here in Ottawa, mass atrocity and impunity continue in Darfur,” Liberal MP Irwin Cotler said.

They issued a call for action, and it’s one that Prime Minister Stephen Harper may act on.

“We have given that some preliminary consideration. We haven’t reached any final decision,” Harper said.

“This obviously is something that would have to be worked out in concert with all of our allies including the United States and others.”

Canada has about 50 soldiers in Darfur acting as advisers or otherwise providing support to African Union troops. In addition, Canada has sent about 100 armoured vehicles.

Dallaire thinks Canada can and should do more.

“Does it have enough depth now to handle another mission? My estimate is yes but it doesn’t have any more room after that,” he said.

The government has not yet asked military officials to plan for an increased presence in Sudan, but that could soon change.

The UN releases its Sudan action plan on April 24, and that plan will likely call for more peacekeepers.

“We welcome the initiative to develop a plan, that as on the 60th anniversary of the whole concept of peacekeeping which emerged right here from Canada, that Canada’s prepared to move from 33rd place in participation to a more significant role,” NDP Leader Jack Layton said Friday.

(CTV)