Ottawa, ON - Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement to mark 60 years since the end of the United Nations (UN) Operation in Congo.
"After 75 years of colonization, Congo gained independence from Belgium in June 1960, but the transition to nationhood was difficult. Political conflicts, an army mutiny, foreign mercenary forces, inter-communal tensions, and widespread violence led Belgium to redeploy troops to Congo.
"By mid-July of that year, the Congolese government had asked the international community to intervene. Soon after, United Nations peacekeepers were sent to help restore order and stability, and to facilitate the departure of Belgian troops. The mission was complicated in 1961 by the attempted secession of the Province of Katanga and the resulting civil war, as well as by Cold War rivalries.
"A UN contingent, that at times numbered more than 20,000 personnel, served in Congo during the four-year operation. The mission included a significant civilian element to assist in restoring basic public services.
"Among the UN troops, there were 300 Canadians serving at any given time, and more than 1,900 throughout the course of the operation. With Francophone peacekeepers in high demand, the United Nations asked Canada to send French-speaking specialists to participate in the large mission. Some of these Canadian officers also held key positions in the peacekeeping mission's command.
"Among them, Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Berthiaume of the Royal 22e Régiment and Brigadier-General Jacques Dextraze, the Canadian Army's Commander Eastern Quebec Area, served as chief of staff of the United Nations forces in Congo at different times. For their significant efforts, they were respectively named an Officer and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Another Canadian, Lieutenant J.F.T.A. Liston of the Royal 22e Régiment, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his courageous rescue of a wounded Congolese soldier from a minefield.
"Tragically, 249 service members lost their lives during the mission, including three Canadians. UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld lost his life on 17 September 1961, in a plane crash on his way to talks on the cessation of hostilities between Congolese and Katangan forces.
"The United Nations Operation in the Congo ended 60 years ago today. On this occasion, all Canadians are invited to reflect on the important role that Canadian peacekeepers have played in trying to bring order and stability to Congo and around the world. We honour their sacrifice and the sacrifice of all those who work in the service of peace."
