OTTAWA—The Harper government is examining whether to dispatch Canadian troops to help train an African force whose purpose would be to take back a vast swath of Mali from the Islamic Maghreb, an offshoot of Al Qaeda.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, speaking in Halifax Sunday, said what form of military assistance Canada can provide is something that’s under active discussion.

“What I can tell you is that we are contemplating what contribution Canada could make,” MacKay said at an announcement related to rental housing rates on military bases.

The United Nations recently decided to back a proposal from Economic Community of West African States — ECOWAS — to send 3,300 troops to the region.

Canadian special forces troops were active in the West African country for several training missions prior to the coup last March that installed a shaky interim government.

Those missions also took place before Islamic Maghreb — known as AQIM — overran much of the northern portion of the impoverished nation.

“We are not at a point where we would be making an announcement, but as you know, training is something that the Canadian Forces is particularly adept at doing,” MacKay said.

Mali, a landlocked country bordering on Algeria and Niger, has been one of the biggest recipients of Canada’s foreign aid.

France has been at the forefront of organizing an international response, including the African-led international force which could be trained by western troops.

Malian Prime Minister Diango Cissoko, pleaded last week for military intervention “as soon as possible.”

The African troops would need training in desert combat and counter-insurgency warfare. Canada could also provide what the military call enablers: communications, intelligence, transport planes or helicopters for airlift.

But it is in the area of special forces, more specifically counterterrorism training, that the Canadian military would likely make the most immediate contribution.

Briefing records for the commander of the country’s special forces show members of a highly trained, ultrasecret regiment have conducted at least three training missions in the country between 2010 and 2011.