Canada A Peacekeeper

Was Canada a warrior or a peacekeeper during the Post War Period? Canada is a member of UN which is an international organization that maintains peace around the world. Although, Canada has played a role as warrior in some cases, such as in the War in Afghanistan, but we’ve mostly played our roles in wars as a peacekeeper. The Rwandan Genocide is a prime example because Canada tried to help stop the bloodshed between the Hutus and the Tutsis. In the Bosnian War Canada and the UN created camps to protect civilians who were trapped in the war. And in the Suez Crisis, Canada’s very own Lester B. Pearson help stop the conflict between the Egyptians and the British/French.

For centuries, two tribes called the Hutus and the Tutsis have

Despite being the minorities, the Tutsis took over Rwanda’s politics and economy. However, in 1960, the Hutus forced hundreds of thousands of Tutsis along with their king to flee Rwanda. Because of this, Tutsis who fled Rwanda created rebel groups and attempted to fight against the Hutus in Rwanda and it led to more than ten years of violence. (The Canadian Armed Forces in Rwanda 2014). Canada was a peacekeeper during the Rwandan Genocide because Canada and the UN took action and moved to Rwanda to try to end the bloodshed, Canada tried to end restore order to Rwanda and Canada and the UN took on peace missions from 1993-1996. (The Canadian Armed Forces in Rwanda 2014). Lieutenant General and the force commander of the UN mission to Rwanda, Romeo Dallaire did everything he could with the very little power that he had to stop the genocide but he failed because they did not bring many troops and were outnumbered. (Canada was a bystander in Rwanda 2016). In April 1994, the Hutus slaughtered lots of Tutsis and Canada and other UN soldiers did what they

(Suez Crisis 2015). In July 26 1956, the company was seized and nationalized by the Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nasser which blocked the flow of oil to Britain. Because of this, a conflict began between the Egyptians and the French and British. This was the Suez Crisis. (Suez Crisis 2015). Canada played their role in the Suez Crisis as a peacekeeper because Lester B. Pearson, Canada’s secretary of state for external affairs came up with diplomatic solution to stop the Suez Crisis and another war in the Middle East. (Suez Crisis 2015). When Pearson was working the UN, he came up with the idea for the United Nations first large-scale peacekeeping force. (Suez Crisis 2015). At the time, United Nations military observers were already monitoring arguments in Kashmir and Palestine but a more armoured peacekeeping force was never tried before. (Suez Crisis 2015). Because of Canada’s actions during the Suez Crisis, this showed that the purpose our forces that were involved during the Suez Crisis was to try and stop the conflict and set peace. In 1957, Lester B. Pearson wins the Noble Peace Prize because of his initiative in Egypt. (Suez Crisis