Canada must help prevent a genocide in the Central African Republic

New Democrats are calling on the government of Canada to offer military support to the international peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.

“This month, the international community is remembering our collective failure to prevent the Rwandan genocide. Let’s not repeat the same mistakes in the Central African Republic,” said NDP Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre). “Canada must be part of the effort to prevent another genocide in Africa.”

New Democrats are calling on the government to provide material, logistical, and diplomatic support to the UN mission, as well as the participation of Canadian military personnel under a UN mandate to protect civilians. The NDP made its announcement on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Mass Atrocities.

The conflict in the Central African Republic, which has escalated following a coup last year, has displaced more than half a million people. Tens of thousands of people have been killed. The United Nations has warned of a high risk of genocide in the country.

“Before the deployment of the UN mission in September, Canada should also help the African Union and European Union forces engaged in security and civilian protection,” said NDP International Development critic Hélène Laverdière (Laurier--Sainte-Marie). “We must work with our international partners to help end the bloodshed in the Central African Republic.”