According to US officials, the Russian private military company Wagner may be smuggling weapons into Russia to help it in its conflict with Ukraine, through Mali and other African nations.
Employees of the group may have been attempting to obtain mines, drones, radar, and other military hardware, according to a Treasury Department statement.
Mali is one of the known African nations where Wagner is active. According to the statement, sanctions have been imposed on Ivan Maslov, the head of Wagner’s operations in Mali. Maslov is regarded as a crucial member of Wagner who collaborates with Malian officials to increase Wagner’s visibility.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the organization’s top commander, has accused the Russian defence ministry of neglecting to arm his troops with the necessary equipment for their activities in Ukraine.
Wagner has been in charge of Russia’s operation in Bakhmut, Ukrainian city, however it started to withdraw on Thursday to give the Russian military responsibility.
The US’s charges imply that it may be attempting to take advantage of Mali’s large supply of weapons. As mercenaries who had been fighting for Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya returned home in 2011, the nation experienced an influx of weapons.
The US classified Wagner as a transnational criminal group earlier this year. Sanctions have already been imposed on Prigozhin and other Wagner officials.
The organisation has been assisting Mali’s military government in battling Islamist rebels.
According to a statement from the US Treasury Department, “The Wagner Group’s presence on the African continent is a destabilising force for any country that allows for the deployment of the group’s resources into their sovereign territory.”
Wagner stole natural resources and engaged in severe violations of human rights, it continued.
Additionally, the Treasury claimed Wagner might be “seeking to transit material acquisitions for Ukraine through Mali” and “willing to use false paperwork for these transactions.”
The statement further charged Wagner of providing missiles to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces during their confrontation with the Sudanese army.
As it looks for new partners in the conflict with Ukraine, Russia has been attempting to increase its influence in Africa.
