Foreign ministers of the OIC Contact Group on Mali are scheduled to hold a meeting in Jeddah on Monday to discuss ways of easing the situation in the African country.

The Iranian Foreign Minister is expected to outline the Islamic Republic’s stance on the crisis in Mali and also hold talks with officials of participating countries on the sidelines of the meeting.

France launched a war in the resource-rich West African country on January 11, 2013, under the pretext of fighting al-Qaeda-linked extremists.

The French-led war on Mali has caused a serious humanitarian crisis in the northern areas of the country and has displaced thousands of people, who now live in deplorable conditions.

Amnesty International said on February 1 that serious human rights breaches including the killing of children were being conducted in Mali.

Some political analysts believe Mali's abundant natural resources, including gold and uranium, could be one of the reasons behind the French war against the African country.