This Defense Secretary has been sanctioned by the United States for cooperating with Wagner. Defense Secretary | Mali | Defense Secretary
According to Agence France Presse, the United States announced on the 24th that it will impose economic sanctions on three Malian military leaders, including the Malian Minister of Defense, accusing them of providing "convenience for deployment and expansion" for the activities of the Russian Wagner military group in Mali.
The report states that the sanctions involve Colonel Sadio Camara, Minister of Defense, and two heads of the Malian Air Force.
The US Treasury Department stated in a statement that there is evidence to suggest that these Malian officials were involved in the malicious activities of the Wagner Group in Mali.
▲ Information image: Mali's Minister of Defense Sadio Camara
The statement quoted the Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury for Terrorist Financing as saying, "Today's sanctions action exposes the key Malian leaders who have helped the Wagner Group establish roots in Mali over the past two years."
![This Defense Secretary has been sanctioned by the United States for cooperating with Wagner. Defense Secretary | Mali | Defense Secretary](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/dc9ca47f5f331e138ca35e7c79da22f8.jpg)
The Assistant Minister said, "These officials make their people vulnerable to the destabilizing activities and human rights violations of the Wagner Group, while paving the way for the Wagner Group to develop and utilize its sovereign resources in Ukraine."
According to reports, the assets of the three sanctioned individuals in the United States have been frozen and they have been prohibited from engaging in transactions with Americans or American companies.
Washington stated that since the arrival of the Wagner Group in Mali in December 2021, particularly due to actions carried out by the Malian armed forces in collaboration with members of the Wagner Group, the number of civilian casualties in the country has increased by 278%.