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Aisha Ahmad on the challenges facing Canadian troops in Mali

鈥淭he deadliest peacekeeping mission in the world鈥
photo of Aisha Ahmad delivering lecture
Assistant Professor Aisha Ahmad 鈥 seen here in 2013 鈥 has conducted field research in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Kenya (photo by Ken Jones)

The deployment of Canadian troops to support the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali represents a formidable challenge, says Aisha Ahmad.

the assistant professor of political science, co-director of the Islam and Global Affairs Initiative at the Munk School of Global Affairs, and author of Jihad & Co.: Black Markets and Islamist Power, says three things make Mali 鈥渢he deadliest peacekeeping mission in the world.鈥

Ahmad says Canada will be wading into a tangled web of ethnic and tribal warfare that is difficult for outsiders to understand 鈥 and peacekeepers may face a backlash from locals who see jihadists as 鈥渢he solution to the problem of fragmentation and insecurity.鈥 Canadian forces will also be entering a region with a volatile war economy, where armed groups are involved with criminal networks trafficking in drugs, weapons and people.

鈥淎s our forces prepare for the challenges ahead,鈥 Ahmad writes, 鈥渟erious questions must be asked of our government about how to ensure that Canadian blood and treasure are not wasted, and that we do not leave Mali worse off than when we arrived.

鈥淓very single tough lesson from Afghanistan, Somalia and Rwanda must be brought to bear.鈥

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