The United States has imposed economic sanctions on three Malian soldiers, including the current Minister of Defense, Colonel Sadio Camara, for enabling the activities of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in Mali. The other two sanctioned officers are Colonel Alou Boi Diarra and Lieutenant-Colonel Adama Bagayoko from the Malian Air Force.

The US Treasury reported evidence of their involvement in supporting the Wagner group’s actions in Mali, leading to increased civilian casualties. As a consequence, the assets of these officials in the US have been frozen, and they are prohibited from conducting transactions with American individuals or companies. The Wagner group’s future presence in Africa remains uncertain after its leader, Yevgeny Prigojine, faced a rebellion in Russia in June 2023. Moscow stated that its activities in Africa would be dependent on the decisions of the involved countries.