Washington - The United States has imposed sanctions on three Malian government and military authorities, including Colonel Sadio Camara (Mali's Defense Minister), Colonel Alou Boi Diarra (Chief of Staff of the Malian Air Force), and Lieutenant Colonel Adama Bagayoko (Deputy Chief of Staff of the Malian Air Force). The US Department of the Treasury announced the sanctions, accusing these officials of collaborating with the Wagner group and facilitating its activities in Mali.

The US Treasury stated that the sanctions were based on compelling evidence showing the involvement of these Malian authorities in supporting Wagner's malicious activities in the country. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, emphasized that these officials have contributed to the Wagner group's presence in Mali, subjecting their fellow citizens to its harmful activities and human rights abuses while compromising the country's sovereignty for the benefit of Wagner's operations in Ukraine.

Colonel Camara, Mali's Defense Minister, visited Russia multiple times in 2021 to negotiate an agreement between the Wagner group and Mali's transitional government to deploy the mercenary force to Mali.

Colonel Diarra, in his previous role as Air Logistics Chief, played a significant role in facilitating the strategic involvement of Russian entities in Mali. The statement highlighted that Camara and Diarra jointly formulated and executed the plan that led to Wagner's presence in Mali. They even traveled together to Russia on several occasions to solidify the cooperation agreement between the Wagner group and Mali's transitional government.

Lieutenant Colonel Bagayoko, on the other hand, has acted as a representative for the Wagner group to the Burkinabe transitional government, attempting to secure the group's deployment to Burkina Faso.

These sanctions come as a measure to hold these officials accountable for their alleged connections with the Wagner group and to address concerns regarding the group's activities in Mali and neighboring countries.