The US has imposed sanctions on senior politicians in Mali for supporting mercenaries from the Russian military group Wagner. The measures, such as freezing all assets, have been taken by Defense Minister Sadio Camara, among others. Together with other officials, he was involved in supporting the mercenaries.
The US government justified the sanctions Monday by saying civilian deaths in the West African country had risen 278 percent since the Malian government began collaborating with Wagner. “Many fatalities resulted from operations carried out by the Malian armed forces together with members of the Wagner group.”
Mali is ruled by a military junta led by Colonel Assimi Goita. The army seized power in the Sahel country of about 23 million in two coups in 2020 and 2021 and turned to Russia, from where it promised stronger aid against Islamists. While the military junta speaks only of trainers, there are an estimated 2,000 Russian Wagner mercenaries active in the country. Recently, the Malian government had also demanded the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission Minusma from the country. The German soldiers deployed there want to withdraw before the end of the year. (saw/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
