Canada calls in French, Mali envoys for talks on West African crisis

 Two French fighter jets are seen at Bamako's airport Tuesday Jan. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay).

By Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press: OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will host the ambassadors of France, Mali and West Africa's economic bloc for talks in Ottawa on Wednesday regarding the embattled region, The Canadian Press has learned. Baird called the high-level meeting, set for Foreign Affairs headquarters, one day after dispatching Canada's ambassador to Mali to tell the country's military rulers to get on with the work of restoring democracy following their coup there last March. Baird told Canadian envoy Louis de Lormier to inform Malian officials that the instability caused by the March 2012 coup allowed al-Qaida affiliated groups to take control of the country's north...The Canadian Forces are making contingency preparations in anticipation of a greater military role. But so far the Harper government has not made any military commitment beyond the contribution of one non-combat aircraft. "We have seen a deterioration of the security situation in Mali," MacKay said Tuesday. "Canada has a history of having supported Mali in the past. We have an obvious interest at stake in seeing stability and democracy returned to that country."...Read complete article here. French triple troops in Mali, prepare for assault. Read here.