US sanctions Malian officials over alleged ties to Wagner Group

The United States imposed sanctions on three Malian officials Monday, including the minister of defense, over accusations they facilitated the deployment and expansion of the Russian Wagner Group's activities in the country, Report informs, citing Reuters.

The US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Mali's Minister of Defense, Sadio Camara, who it said made several trips to Russia in 2021 to solidify an agreement between the Wagner Group and the Malian transition government to deploy the mercenary force to the West African country.

Also targeted in Monday's action was Mali’s Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Alou Boi Diarra, and Malian Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff, Adama Bagayoko, the department said in a statement.

"These officials have made their people vulnerable to the Wagner Group’s destabilizing activities and human rights abuses while paving the way for the exploitation of their country’s sovereign resources to the benefit of the Wagner Group’s operations in Ukraine," Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said.