View source for Operation Deliverance

{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Operation Deliverance
| width             = 
| partof            = [[Somali Civil War]]
| image             = Canadian Military in Somalia 1992.jpg
| caption           = Canadian soldiers in Somalia, 1992
| date              = December 1992 – May 1993
| place             = [[Somalia]]
| coordinates       = 
| map_type          = 
| map_relief        = 
| latitude          = 
| longitude         = 
| map_size          = 
| map_marksize      = 
| map_caption       = 
| map_label         = 
| territory         = 
| result            = Canadian forces achieve military objectives, but certain members behave criminally, and the forces suffer severe political repercussions.
*[[Somalia affair]]
*Disbanding of the [[Canadian Airborne Regiment]]
| status            = 
| combatants_header = 
| combatant1        = {{flag|Canada}}
| combatant2        = [[United Somali Congress]]
| combatant3        = 
| commander1        = {{ubl|[[Brian Mulroney]]|[[John de Chastelain]]}}
| commander2        = [[Mohamed 'Tiger' I. Barre]]
| commander3        = 
| units1            = [[Canadian Airborne Regiment]]
| units2            = 
| units3            = 
| strength1         = {{ubl|1,400 troops|1 helicopter squadron|1 {{HMCS|Preserver|AOR 510|6}} naval ship}}
| strength2         = Unknown
| strength3         = 
| casualties1       = 1 killed (friendly fire)
| casualties2       = ≥4
| casualties3       = 
| notes             = 
| campaignbox       = 
}}
{{Campaignbox United Nations Intervention in Somalia (1992-1995)}}

'''Operation Deliverance''' was a [[Canadian military]] operation in [[Somalia]] that formed part of the [[United Nations]] peace-making deployment to that country during the early part of the [[Somali Civil War]]. The mission began on December 3, 1992, and involved about 1,400 Canadian troops, a helicopter unit and the supply ship {{HMCS|Preserver|AOR 510|6}}.<ref name="forces1">[http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=974] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213065850/http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=974|date=February 13, 2008}}</ref><ref name="archives1">{{cite web|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/peacekeeping/topics/723/ |title=CBC Digital Archives |publisher=Archives.cbc.ca |access-date=2014-02-05}}</ref>

While [[Canada]]'s mission objectives were largely completed, including the freeing of a captured Canadian journalist and the defeat of the [[Somalis|Somali]] [[warlord]] Mohamed 'Tiger' I. Barre,<ref name="forces1"/><ref name="archives1"/> Operation Deliverance turned into a political disaster for the Canadian Forces after several Somali civilians were brutally killed or injured in what became known as the [[Somalia Affair]]. The Somalia Affair was largely responsible for the disbandment of the [[Canadian Airborne Regiment]] in 1995 and additionally resulted in numerous dismissals and resignations along the [[chain of command]] up to, but not including, the [[Minister of National Defence (Canada)|Minister of Defence]]

One Canadian soldier died during the mission, Corporal Michael David Abel of the Canadian Airborne Regiment.  He was killed when a rifle being cleaned by a fellow soldier discharged accidentally.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/11/07/flag_a_reminder_of_sons_sacrifices_in_somalia.html|title=Flag a reminder of son's sacrifices in Somalia|work=Toronto Star|date=November 7, 2011|author= Petti Fong}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Canada|Somalia}}
*[[Canadian Airborne Regiment]]
*[[Somali Civil War]]
*[[Somalia Affair]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
*http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=974
*http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/peacekeeping/topics/723/

[[Category:Conflicts in 1992]]
[[Category:Military operations involving Canada]]
[[Category:United Nations operations in Somalia]]
[[Category:1992 in Somalia]]
[[Category:1993 in Somalia]]