Canadian UN Command Position Possibly Lost Due to Delay

The Canadian Press news service reports that Canada may have missed a chance to provide the commanding officer for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali because it wanted to talk first to the Trump administration.

The UN put out requests to a handful of top-tier countries in mid-December as the term of the mission’s previous commander, Danish Maj.-Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, was coming to an end, the news service pointed out.

Sources told the Canadian Press the Liberal government asked the UN to hold off on a decision until after the government had a chance to consult the new American administration on Canada’s future peacekeeping plans.

It is believed that the U.S. military and Defense Secretary James Mattis outlined America’s top priorities to Sajjan and Vance on Monday and the Liberal government might adjust its defence policy accordingly, say sources.