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US warns Wagner Group seeking arms, slaps sanctions on group's head in Mali

Washington (reuters) - the u. S. On thursday said russian mercenary force wagner institution can be working through mali and different countries to hide its efforts to acquire military equipment to be used in ukraine, and accused it of supplying a sudanese paramilitary with surface-to-air missiles. The u. S. Treasury department stated in a announcement it imposed sanctions on wagner's chief in mali as it said the institution's personnel may additionally have been trying to paintings via the west african us of a to collect device which includes mines, drones, radar and counterbattery structures to be used in ukraine. The u. S. Has time and again warned of what it says are wagner's destabilizing sports and has ramped up sanctions towards the personal navy following russia's invasion of ukraine ultimate yr. Wagner mercenaries have fought alongside everyday russian troops in ukraine, such as in a number of the maximum severe battles. On monday, country branch spokesperson matthew miller warned that wagner became looking for to transit army equipment through mali. Maria zakharova, spokeswoman for russia's overseas ministry, on wednesday disregarded the u. S. Allegations as a "hoax."

"treasury's sanctions in opposition to the maximum senior wagner organization consultant in mali pick out and disrupt a key operative assisting the group's worldwide activities," the treasury's beneath secretary for terrorism and economic intelligence brian nelson stated inside the announcement.

"the wagner group’s presence at the african continent is a destabilizing force for any usa that allows for the deployment of the group’s resources into their sovereign territory."

the treasury accused wagner of providing sudan’s speedy support forces (rsf) with floor-to-air missiles, that could supply the paramilitary group a lift inside the combating against the sudanese military, that is closely reliant on air strikes to goal the rsf. Preventing between the 2 parties that broke out final month has worsened a humanitarian disaster, compelled greater than 1. Three million humans to escape and threatened to destabilize a fragile region. The pinnacle of the rsf, mohamed hamdan dagalo, additionally known as hemedti, has cultivated ties with russia. Western diplomats in khartoum stated in 2022 that wagner turned into worried in illicit gold mining in sudan and changed into spreading disinformation. Hemedti has formerly stated he suggested sudan to reduce ties to wagner after the u. S. Imposed sanctions at the non-public navy contractor. Wagner stated on april 19 that it became no longer working in sudan. Head of wagner institution in mali

the treasury slapped sanctions on ivan aleksandrovich maslov, who it described as the pinnacle of wagner paramilitary units and its primary administrator primarily based in mali, accusing him of working in near coordination with malian government officers to execute the organization's deployment in mali. Maslov also arranges meetings between yevgeny prigozhin, the founder of the wagner group, and authorities officials from numerous african international locations, the treasury said. Thursday's movement freezes any of maslov's u. S. Assets and generally bars people from dealing with him. Mali's government did not right now reply to requests for remark. Western nations have raised issues over wagner's sports in mali given that overdue 2021. The west african country, whose leaders seized energy in a 2021 coup, and russia have formerly maintained that russian forces there aren't mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with device sold from russia.