The US has sanctioned entities linked to the Wagner Group in Mali and the Central African Republic, and advised countries in sub-Saharan Africa to 'apply strengthened due diligence practices' in gold trade and mining.
The United States has sanctioned a top Russian paramilitary outfit commander and two senior Malian military officials for their roles in one of the most brutal massacres the country has experienced in recent history.
The United States Treasury believes Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov works closely with Malian officials to build Wagner s presence in Mali and elsewhere in Africa.