Last summer, CBC News reported that regular army troops would take over an ongoing deployment, known as Operation Naberius, from Canada's elite special forces. A handful of the highly-trained soldiers have since 2013 helped train the Niger Armed Forces in marksmanship, reconnaissance and other basic military skills. Members of the Van Doos' 1st battalion will head to Niger to train military personnel there. Walter Dorn, professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College, says Canada's decision on a peacekeeping mission is eagerly awaited. The training of local forces in Niger does not fall within the mandate of the world body because the UN does not conduct counter-terrorism operations.

Source: CBC News March 09, 2017 09:56 UTC