Dark Threats and White Knights: The Somalia Affair, Peacekeeping, and the New Imperialism

Paul Dickson is a strategic analyst at the Directorate of Air Strategic
Plans, National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa.

The central premise of this book is that “For us [Canadians],
peacekeeping is Rudyard Kipling’s white man’s burden, barely
transformed from its nineteenth-century origins in colonialism.” The
evidence for this claim, the author suggests, is the torture, beating,
and killing of Somali nationals in March 1993. The case is built
systematically, if not always convincingly, through examination of
Canadian perceptions of peacekeeping, the military culture of the
Canadian Airborne Regiment, the incidents in Somalia, and the inquiry
that followed. The conclusion suggests that peacekeeping is part of the
problem, not part of the solution.

Razack makes a compelling case for Canadians’ refusal to understand
the complexities of the variations on peace support operations and for
our insistence on retaining an image of ourselves as “innocents” in
a tumultuous world. Rarely are Canadian troops committed to
“peacekeeping” operations of the 1956 variety. Similarly, the case
is strong that racism was an element of the makeup of some (perhaps a
significant minority) of the servicemen sent to Somalia.

However, Razack’s main argument is undermined by sweeping
generalizations and attempts to examine all actions through the prism of
racism and colonialism. Canadian participation in peace support
operations is not evidence that Canadians believe they have some natural
predilection toward democracy and peace. Neither is it plausible to
suggest that support for peace support operations represents a moral
inversion similar to that which some scholars suggest drove German
support for, and participation in, the extermination policies directed
toward Jews during the Second World War, among others. While it could be
argued that the normalization of brutality was a factor in the Somalia
affair, it is a stretch to state that it caused the incident to be swept
under the carpet as just another example of the more frustrating aspects
of the “white man’s burden.” These activities need to be
understood in context.

Reservations aside, Dark Threats and White Knights is a worthwhile read
for anyone who wants to better understand the Somalia affair. The book
is less helpful in explaining what type of role Canada can play in
promoting stability abroad.