Operation NABERIUS

From: National Defence

Operation NABERIUS is a military training mission in Niger. Under this mission, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is training the Forces armées nigériennes (FAN).

Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program (CTCBP) funds this training.

Through this mission, the CAF is helping Canada’s ongoing work to build the Nigerien military and security forces’ capacity. Doing so helps Niger to counter violent extremist organizations in the Sahel region.

How many people are deployed?

The CAF sends a training team of up to 50 members to Niger per year under the leadership of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command with attachments from the Canadian Army.

What are they doing?

The CAF training consists of:

  • individual soldier skills
  • marksmanship
  • combat first aid
  • patrolling
  • checkpoint procedures

Each serial also includes leadership training. Themes include:

  • laws of armed conflict
  • mission planning
  • human rights law
  • gender equality and perspectives
  • protection of vulnerable populations

The CAF is teaching these serials to the FAN until March 31, 2023.

Operation NABERIUS is not part of any peace support operation.

History and context of the operation

The CAF has been training the FAN since 2013. At that time, the CAF sent Canadian Special Operations Forces members to Niger. There, they supported GAC’s Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program (CTCBP). In 2016, the Canadian Joint Operations Command took over the mission from the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. In 2019, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command was reassigned command of Operation NABERIUS.

The program was created in 2005. Its mandate is to enable countries to prevent and respond to terrorist activity through:

  • training
  • funding
  • equipment
  • technical and legal assistance

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