Canada ‘not contemplating’ sending military mission to Mali, Baird says

OTTAWA – Despite mounting calls for military intervention to deal with the threat of Islamic extremists, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Canada is not planning to deploy troops to Mali.

Speaking from Thailand on Friday, Baird said the Conservative government supports international diplomatic efforts, led by the West African regional group ECOWAS, to re-establish democracy within Mali and address the threat posed by jihadists.

“And we certainly stand ready to support the organization (ECOWAS) once its needs are identified.”

But while ECOWAS is reportedly drawing up plans for military inter- vention, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has warned that Western countries may be dragged into the conflict, Baird said: “Canada is not contemplating a military mission in Mali.”

A spokesperson from his office would not say whether Baird’s comments meant all military assistance for future international action in Mali had been ruled out.

Militants linked to al-Qaida have taken sole control of the northern half of Mali – an area the size of France – after working with separatist Tuareg tribesmen to rout government troops from the area.

The Malian government has been unable to mount a proper counterattack from the south as a coup that ousted the country’s democratically elected president in March has cre- ated a power vacuum and eroded international support.

There are ongoing discussions about deploying an international force to counter the threat posed by the Islamists. That force would be led by the West African nations that comprise ECOWAS, but there is an expectation Western nations like Canada would be asked to provide support in other forms.