Operation NABERIUS

The military training mission in Niger, Operation NABERIUS, was suspended in July 2023.

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

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

Through this mission, the CAF aided 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 deployed?

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

What did they do?

The CAF training consisted of:

individual soldier skills
marksmanship
combat first aid
patrolling
checkpoint procedures

Each serial also included leadership training. Themes include:

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

The CAF taught 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 trained 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 Global Affairs Canada program was created in 2005. Its mandate is to enable countries to prevent and respond to terrorist activity through: