He made the remarks while defending the limited duration of Canada's deployment of helicopters to the West African nation in support of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Trudeau is silhouetted as he walks in a hangar during his visit to personnel serving on the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Gao. Trudeau shakes hands with Canadian mission commander Col. Chris McKenna after being presented with a United Nations flag during a visit to the base in Gao. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)They took over northern Mali in a bid for independence, but the uprising was hijacked by Islamist militants, including al-Qaeda-affiliated groups. A Canadian Armed Forces soldier provides security Saturday as medics assist German troops during a medical evacuation demonstration on the United Nations base in Gao.

Source: CBC News December 23, 2018 09:01 UTC