Somalia Affair

The Somalia Affair was a 1993 military scandal later dubbed "Canada's national shame". It peaked with the brutal beating death of a Somali teenager at the hands of two Canadian soldiers participating in humanitarian efforts in Somalia. The crime, documented by grisly photos, shocked the Canadian public and brought to light internal problems in the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Military leadership came into sharp rebuke after a CBC reporter received altered documents, leading to allegations of a cover up.

Eventually a public inquiry was called. Despite being controversially cut short by the government, the Somalia Inquiry cited problems in the leadership of the Canadian Forces. The affair led to the disbanding of Canada's elite Canadian Airborne Regiment, greatly damaging the morale of the Canadian Forces, and marring the domestic and international reputation of Canadian soldiers. It also led to the immediate reduction of Canadian military spending by nearly 25% from the time of the killing to the inquiry.

Read more about Somalia Affair:  Background, Canadian Airborne Regiment, Airborne in Somalia, March 4 Killing, Death of Shidane Arone, Response, Legal Proceedings, McAuliffe's Request For Documents, Somalia Inquiry, Aftermath of The Affair, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Intervention in The Wake of The Somalia Affair

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