Canadian Air Force Major General Alain Parent, Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM) deputy commander, visited U.S. Africa Command Headquarters January 25, 2011 to identify potential areas of partnership on the African continent following 2011.

U.S. AFRICOM's Canadian Forces Liaison Officer, Colonel Pierre Lamontagne, explained that "CEFCOM will drawdown its contingent in Afghanistan from roughly 3,000 to 950 troops in 2011 and is working to increase the Canadian relationship with U.S. COCOMs [Combatant Commands] (including recent engagements with Southern Command and Pacific Command).

The Canadian Forces are made up of roughly 70,000 regular military personnel and 30,000 reserve military personnel and 28,000 civilian employees. On any given day, about 8,000 Canadian Forces members -- one third of its deployable force -- are preparing for, engaged in or returning from an overseas mission. The most important operational deployments are Afghanistan (3,000), Africa (60) and the Middle East (45). Canadian soldiers are also present in the Americas as well as in Europe."

This visit was an "effort to assess AFRICOM's vision, mission, goals, priorities, challenges and initiatives," according to Lamontagne.

Parent's visit is the fourth in a series of senior Canadian military personnel to visit the headquarters. According to Bradford Sellers, a Capstone Corporation contractor who hosted this visit on behalf of the AFRICOM Outreach Directorate, "This visit is one in a series of cooperation-building visits by senior Canadian Forces leadership. These visits, over the past two years, have consistently demonstrated Canada's strong commitment to actively contributing to AFRICOM programs."

According to Sellers, then CEFCOM Commander, retired Lieutenant General Mike Gauthier visited AFRICOM in 2008; the Canadian Chief of Defense, General Walter Natynczyk followed him in the spring of 2009; and the current CEFCOM Commander, Lieutenant General Marc Lessard, visited in November 2009.

For continuity Canada posted a liaison officer at AFRICOM in 2009 whose "role is to provide a conduit between AFRICOM and CEFCOM HQ to inform on and resolve operational, planning or administrative issues and facilitate the achievement of Canadian operational objectives with forces deployed in the AFRICOM Area of Operations," according to Lamontagne.

Canadian forces currently have four contingents supporting missions in Africa:

(1) Sierra Leone. Eight military personnel deployed with the International Military Advisory Team led by the United Kingdom.

(2) Democratic Republic of the Congo. Eleven military personnel deployed with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).

(3) Sudan. Thirty military personnel and 11 Canadian civilian police deployed with the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

(4) Darfur. Six military personnel and two civilian Canadian police deployed with the UN Missions in Darfur (UNAMID).

In addition to these contingents the Canadian Forces also have two officers employed with the International Peace Support Training Centre in Kenya and two others employed with l'Ecole de Maintien de la Paix in Mali.

Canada's activities with African nations are not always limited to the continent. Lamontagne also shared that, "…each year, over 250 candidates from 16 African countries benefit from language, staff/professional development, and Peace Support Operations training provided through the Directorate of Military Training Cooperation (DMTC)."

Lamontagne added, "Most of the training takes place in Canada at training institutions such as the Canadian Land Forces Staff College in Kingston, the Canadian Peace Support Training Centre in Kingston, the Canadian Forces Language School in St-Jean and the Combat Training Centre in Gagetown. Some training also takes place on the African continent."

According to Lamontagne, "Canada is committed to contribute to prosperity, security and democracy in Africa." A commitment they are clearly demonstrating through actions and not just words.