With the ‘Aerial Reconnaissance and support’ of French air force, the emboldened ‘Mali’ army is now beginning what international human rights watchers call, ‘Genocide’ of Muslim Arab and Tuareg civilians.

Given the Western African Tribal rules of retaliation, what Mali Army firing squad ‘Genocide’ of Muslim Arab and Turaeg civilians point to is the starting point of a growing and viscous cycle of uncontrollable ‘ethnic and sectarian’ strife across north ‘Africa’.

According to sources, a French Minister too have accepted the claims of  a huge number of civilians killed by Mali Army’s firing squads in summary execution fashion.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said some people were killed simply because they did not have identity documents.

A Malian army officer was quoted as denying the allegations.

Meanwhile, the UN says 7,100 civilians have fled to neighbouring states since 10 January to escape fighting.

Reports suggesting that the mainly black African Malian army, drawn largely from the south, has targeted Arabs and ethnic Tuaregs from the north expose a racial aspect to the war here which has been hidden by the emphasis on western troops fighting a war against Islamist insurgents, the BBC’s Mark Doyle in Mali says.

France intervened militarily on 11 January to halt a militant advance.

It said al-Qaeda linked Islamists – some of whom were foreigners – threatened to turn Mali into a “terrorist state”.

FIDH said there needed to be an independent investigation into alleged abuses committed by Malian soldiers and those responsible should be punished.

In the garrison town of Sevare, at least seven people were executed at a military camp, near a bus station and a hospital, it said.

There was “credible information” pointing to 20 other executions in Sevare, with bodies “buried hastily, notably in wells”, FIDH said.

Summary killings also took place in the towns of Mopti and Niono, the group added.

“Other allegations of summary executions continue to come from all areas of the west and centre of the country,” it said.

It added that some of the victims were accused of possessing weapons, and of being “infiltrators” and “accomplices” of the militants.

Others were killed because they did not have identity documents or simply because of their ethnicity, FIDH said.

Dozens of ethnic Tuaregs in Mali’s capital, Bamako, have also had their homes raided by troops, the group added.