There are increasing hints that Canada could be sending peacekeepers to Mali, perhaps as soon as mid-September.
On Wednesday, the government said it is sending a fact-finding mission to examine United Nations peacekeeping operations in the West Africa country.
Defence Department denied that the mission of diplomats, military personnel and RCMP officers, doesn’t mean a decision has been taken.
But Walter Dorn, an expert on peacekeeping that the Royal Military College of Canada, says the fact-finding mission suggests that Mali may be at the top of list for any deployment.
The government announced last week that it will make up to 600 troops and $450-million available for UN peacekeeping operations.
The government is also believed to be looking at missions in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Recent UN Peacekeeping missions have been plagued by problems, including a lack of Western participation.
That has left under-equipped soldiers from developing countries to fill the gap.
With files from CBC and CP.
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