36 civilians dead in militia attack on village in central Mali, Fulani group says

A community militia killed 32 civilians in anattack on a village in central Mali,then returned shortly afterMalian soldiers left and killed four more, the head of the WestAfrican nation's largest ethnic Fulani association said late Sunday.

Mali's government earlier in the day confirmed the first attack and said 16 people were killed, as the Fulani ethnic group facesgrowing pressure over accusations of links to al-Qaeda extremists.

The death tolls differed because many bodies had been buried bythe time Malian soldiers responded, Abdoul Aziz Diallo with theTabital Pulaku association told The Associated Press.

The original attack occurred Saturday, when militia members killedherders outside Koumaga before entering and "starting to fire onthe villagers," Diallo said.

As soon as Malian soldiers left the village Sunday afternoon, militia members returned, killing a man and his three sons, Diallosaid.

Koumaga village has the reputation of being the birthplace of anumber of al-Qaeda-linked extremists. Such fighters have beenattacking security forces and a UNpeacekeeping mission in Maliregularly since 2015.

The first group of Canadian peacekeepersis arriving in Mali this week to aid in that mission one of the most dangerous in the world.

The growing insecurity is a key concern ahead of the July 29election.Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is running again as president.

Concerns have arisen over alleged abuses by Malian security forces during counterterror operations in Fulani-majority areas whereextremists linked to al-Qaeda and ISIShavecarried out attacks and recruited locals as fighters.

Last week,Mali's government acknowledged allegations by the Fulani association andothers that soldiers had entered another village, Nantaka, separatedout 25 Fulani men and killed them.

Mali's government also confirmed the existence of three gravesdiscovered by residents outside the village and said it wouldinvestigate.

The vast majority of civilians reported killed incounterterroroperations have been Fulani, and human rights groups have warnedthat abuses risk pushing villagers into joining extremist groups.

Mali is part of a five-nation regional force launched a year agoto counter the growing extremist threat in the vast Sahel region.

The international effort to reverse the worsening security and human rightssituation is a daunting task, one high-level Canadian Forces soldier told CBC's Adrienne Arsenault in Mali.

"This is one of the most complicated tasks we have had to do," said Lt.-Col. Tom Murphy, commanding officer of the joint task force support component.