OTTAWA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Canada announced Thursday to extend its support for the French military mission in Mali from one week to one month.
A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) transport plane, the CC-177 Globemaster III, which began to delivery equipment and personnel from France to the Malian capital of Bamako on Jan. 16, will continue the operation until Feb. 15.
Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay said in a statement that the aircraft provides an important strategic-lift capacity to France which began air strikes on Jan. 11 against the al-Qaida-linked rebels in Mali.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, however, stressed Canada would not deploy a military mission to the embattled West African country.
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