In a bid to curtail the financing capabilities of the Wagner Group for its activities in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the United States has imposed sanctions on entities associated with the paramilitary organization in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR). The US has also advised sub-Saharan African countries to strengthen due diligence practices in the gold trade and mining sector.
Despite a recent mutiny by the Wagner Group against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that the group’s operations in Africa, particularly in Mali and the CAR, would continue uninterrupted.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the sanctions were aimed at entities connected to the Wagner Group and involved in activities undermining democratic processes and institutions in the CAR, including illicit trade in natural resources. Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov, a prominent figure in the Wagner Group in the CAR, would also face sanctions.
The US further revealed that the Wagner Group utilizes its operations in Mali to generate revenue for the group and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, while also acquiring weapons and equipment to support its engagement in the conflict in Ukraine. In May, the US already placed sanctions on Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov, Wagner Group’s leader in Mali, Colonel Moustaph Sangare, and Major Lassine Togola for similar activities.
Highlighting the significance of mining operations for the Wagner Group’s sustenance beyond Russia’s foreign policy in Africa, US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson affirmed the US commitment to targeting the group’s revenue streams to weaken its expansion and violence in Africa, Ukraine, and other regions.
Simultaneously, various US government departments issued a business risk advisory focused on the gold sector across sub-Saharan Africa. The advisory emphasizes the opportunities and specific risks associated with the gold trade in the region and encourages industry players to adopt enhanced due diligence practices to prevent malign actors like the Wagner Group from exploiting and benefiting from the sector, which supports the livelihoods of millions of people in Africa.