Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll help my friend Mr. Dewar by reminding him that Canada has a very significant diplomatic mission in Mali itself.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for being here today and sharing this very important information. Canadians are very interested to know about the situation in Mali and how it affects the stability of the entire region.
We've learned in the last couple of days that the French have made some significant progress in pushing back the rebels in northern Mali. I'm wondering if you could share with us the composition of those rebels and what we know about them. Maybe you could describe some of the recent reports that we've heard that the Tuareg have welcomed the idea of dialogue with the interim government. Is that true? What dynamics exist among the various factions in the north?
That's a question for Ms. Buck and perhaps General Vance.