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OTTAWA — Diplomats from some of Canada’s closest allies are quietly expressing frustration with how the Trudeau government handled this week’s announcement that it plans to send military helicopters to Mali.

The news that Canada had finally committed resources to the peacekeeping mission was greeted with relief-tinged applause, but diplomats — speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter — say the government has failed to explain that the mission is both necessary and that the Canadians will be relatively safe, compared to the thousands of other peacekeepers working across the country.

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They fear the government has allowed incorrect information to spread unchallenged, threatening to undermine Canadian public support for what they say is a critical contribution to the UN peacekeeping effort.

“It seems the government missed the opportunity to inform (Canadians) about the mission,” one diplomat said. “I believe they have to do more.”