OTTAWA – Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says Canada will host a peacekeeping summit next year, even as Conservative MPs accuse the government of playing politics with Canadian troops.
Sajjan made the announcement at this year’s summit in London, where defence ministers from around the world have gathered to pledge their support for peacekeeping and discuss the challenges of such missions.
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The minister has also reaffirmed Canada’s pledge to make up to 600 troops available for future peace operations, though he again stopped short of saying where they would go.
READ MORE: Canada to send more peacekeepers overseas, here’s where they could go
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That has become the central question, as the government doubles down on its pledge to return to peacekeeping.
Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Conservative defence critics are expressing opposition to a Canadian peacekeeping mission in Africa.
Defence critic James Bezan accuses the Liberals of re-engaging with peacekeeping simply to fulfil Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s desire to win a seat on the UN Security Council.
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