NR-05.061 - July 28, 2005
OTTAWA – Canada is providing 105 armoured vehicles, training and maintenance assistance, and personal protective equipment in support of the efforts of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to bring peace and stability to the Darfur region. The loan of the armoured vehicles, which includes the provision of spare parts, is for a period of one year.
An implementation team of up to 80 Canadian Forces personnel will also deploy to Senegal, which will host the vehicle staging base in Dakar, and a training centre in Thiès. The implementation team will provide the African Union (AU) soldiers with training in the operation and maintenance of the armoured vehicles. This training is expected to commence in early August and will be completed in mid-September.
The 100 “Grizzly” general purpose armoured vehicles and five “Husky” armoured recovery vehicles will be moved from Dakar, Senegal, to the Darfur region of Sudan, and are expected to be operational by mid-September. The vehicles will be used by AU troops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal.
“This armoured vehicle loan is an important part of Canada’s assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan,” said Defence Minister Bill Graham. “It will provide the AU with some of the key tools they need to safely and effectively conduct peace support operations in the troubled Darfur region.”
“Canada is committed to assisting the AU mission and supporting an African-led solution in Darfur,” said Foreign Affairs Minister, Pierre Pettigrew. “We have responded to the AU’s requests, and are working to provide effective support to increase the stability in Darfur and to ensure the civilian population is protected.”
Sea and air transportation of this surplus Canadian Forces (CF) equipment began on July 25. This shipment of equipment and vehicles is in addition to the previous provision of over $1.4M of basic military equipment, including helmets and protective vests. DND has been supporting Canada's efforts to help with the situation in Sudan since September 2004 through the provision of material and advisory staff to the AU. This deployment is known as Operation AUGURAL.
This DND support is part of the overall Government of Canada initiative announced by Prime Minister Martin on 12 May. This $170 million initiative also includes increased diplomatic support, humanitarian assistance and other support to the African Union Mission in Sudan, such as the provision of leased helicopters and transport aircraft.
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For more information on Canada's role in Sudan, please visit http://canadasudan.gc.ca.
More information about Canadian Forces operations in Sudan can be found on the Department of National Defence Operations website at: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/operations/current_ops_e.asp
Information about the vehicles can be found on the Army website: www.army.forces.gc.ca
