The US has long suspected that the Wagner Group is active in Mali. Now they have punished the local head of the mercenary force. The military company is a “destabilizing force” in the region, the statement said.
The US government put Ivan Maslow, head of the Russian private army Wagner in the African crisis state of Mali, on its sanctions list. “The Wagner Group’s presence on the African continent is a destabilizing force for any country that allows the Group’s resources to be deployed on its territory,” the US Treasury Department said.
Maslow worked closely with the government in Mali and also organized meetings between Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and other African governments. One consequence of the sanctions is that any assets in the US will be frozen. US citizens are now prohibited from doing business with Maslow. International business is also likely to become much more difficult for him.
interim government pact entered into at the end of 2021
The country in West Africa with a population of 20 million is considered to be extremely unstable politically. Islamist terrorist groups are also active there. At the end of 2021, the interim military government under Colonel Assimi Goïta, who came to power after two military coups, entered into a “security partnership” with Russia to get the situation under control.
According to American belief, the Russian troops in the country are at least predominantly mercenaries from the notorious Wagner troupe. The transitional military government rejects this and speaks of Russian trainers. In February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the country.
Mali thwarted UN mission
Since the change of power in Bamako, Mali has fallen out with the former French colonial power, which launched a military operation against terrorist groups up until mid-August. In addition, the transitional military government repeatedly obstructed the UN mission, including the German contingent.