22 November 2016, 16:59 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The release also noted that Canada had provided airlift support for French troops, but this was the first time it helped with the current operations in West Africa and the Sahel region.
"On November 20, 2016, a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster strategic airlifter transported personnel and equipment from France to West Africa and the Sahel region," the release stated.
France and the United Nations are engaged against Islamist militants in Mali and the Central African Republic.
