OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says businesses have a role to play by investing in war-torn places such Mali to help such countries recover from conflicts.
He says that's because broader economic development is needed to help war-torn countries, because the military can't do it on its own.
Sajjan's assessment comes as Canada's newly established development finance institution has announced its first private sector partnership.
The US$10-million investment by FinDev Canada will bring electricity to millions of poor people in Kenya, in a more stable east Africa.
Earlier this week, Sajjan joined Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland in announcing Canada's new UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, a west African country coping with the aftermath of a jihadist insurgency.
Canada has made a 12-month peacekeeping commitment to Mali, which will include about 250 personnel, two Chinook helicopters and four smaller armed Griffons to act as escorts.
