Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Excellencies, for being here today.
Madame Diallo, I just want to say, on my behalf and that of my colleagues and the Government of Canada, how much we are concerned about the people of Mali.
Over 20 years, as you know, there has been a very strong friendship between our countries. Canada has been a significant partner with Mali in the tremendous democratic development that you spoke of. We send our deepest condolences to all those negatively affected by the violence there and to those who are displaced, and we hope that the assistance that we have been able to provide is of some comfort to the people of Mali. We wish you and the people of Mali all the best in these difficult and trying times.
Can you, Ambassador Diallo, tell us a bit more about the dialogue that is happening now between your government and the Tuareg tribes and rebels in the north? I understand—I think you mentioned it earlier—that there are some peace negotiations going on. Can you give us an update on that, and can you explain for us the dynamics that exist amongst the various factions that are operating in the north of Mali?