Belgium initially called for reinforcement and was supported by the United States, United Kingdom, Russia and many more for a withdrawal of the UNAMIR. Their only attempt at an intervention deployed two thousand marines and paratroopers to evacuate foreign nationals in Rwanda. UNAMIR eventually took under protection 40,000 Rwandans despite their strict mandate. The UNAMIR was slow to deploy, and when they arrived, they did not suppress the genocide but counted the bodies and assisted survivors. No efforts were made to initiate a long-term rebuilding of Rwanda. Clearly, this was an example of a non-battle pole.
The UN formed a peacekeeping mission to help bring stability to Somalia and allow relief supplies to reach those in desperate need of it. Canada, along with more than 20 other nations, participated in this as well. During their time in Somalia, Canadians did many things to try to improve the desperate situation there. They escorted starvation relief convoys, participated in the removal of land mines, and collected or destroyed thousands of confiscated weapons. Despite their best efforts, the international forces could not end the strife in the country. In late 1992, the 900 soldiers of the Canadian Airborne Regiment were sent to Somalia on a difficult peacekeeping mission. Nomadic gangs terrorized the country with weapons and interfered with food deliveries. The Airborne Regiment had been standing guard; at night soldiers kept watch for intruders who had been breaking into the Canadian compound and stealing supplies. On March 4, two Somalis were shot by soldiers on patrol at the compound. One was wounded, the other was shot dead with two or three bullets. An Army surgeon, Dr. Barry Armstrong, revealed that the man had lived for a few minutes, then was shot "execution-style in the head." 212 days later, there was another awful incident. A 16-year-old, Shidane Arone, was tortured and murdered on the base.