Canada+and+the+UNEF

= = Canada and the UNEF (peacekeeping)

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= The Suez Canal was a very important trade route in the East side. Ships could travel from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean through the Suez canal without any problems around Africa, carrying passengers and goods. President Nasser, Egypt head of state, decided to get the Suez Canal that was under Britain and France control. The stage was set in late October 1956 when Israeli troops invaded Egypt. They were soon followed by British and French forces to fight overt the Suez Canal with Egypt. The Soviet Union was threatening to prevent this from happening and help the Egyptians. = = It was at an emergency meeting of the United Nation's General Assembly that Lester B. Pearson, the Canada’s secretary of state for External Affairs suggested the creation of a large United Nation (UN) military force to keep the peace between the both sides while a political exchange would work out. =

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= The United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), led by Canadian general Edison Louis Millard Burns, was formed and the soldiers were sent to supervise the withdrawal of French, British, and Israeli troops from Egypt. The force would be composed of 6000 soldiers that more than one-thousand Canadian military personnel took part in the mission. They were given ordered that the force would not fight unless they got attacked. Once the mission was accomplished, UNEF's role would then be to prevent both Egyptian and Israeli from being harmed. Canadians would guards the northern section of the Israeli-Egyptian border while Yugoslav troops were to handle the rest. The UNEF succeeded in bringing peace to the region. Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for helping to resolve the Suez Crisis through, among other measures, the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force. =

= = = The UNEF succeeded in bringing peace to the region. Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for helping to resolve the Suez Crisis through, among other measures, the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force. = = = = =

= With out Canada’s interruption, this situation could easily have developed into a major war between the superpowers. Canada’s citizen one more times showed other countries that they are independent and also they can help others to stop the violence, but if you look at the other side what if Canada’s plan for helping Egypt was a complete failure. Did you think about what could happen to Canadians? = = = = sources: =

[] http://www.iaisp.uj.edu.pl/misje/pearsons_peacekeeping_legacy.pdf [] [] [] []

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