US Lifts Sanctions on Three Senior Malian Financial Officials Amid Improving Relations

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced in a statement that the names of three senior Malian financial officials have been removed from the sanctions list following an improvement in bilateral relations between the United States and Mali.

Alou Bouy Diarra, Adama Bagayoko, and Sadio Camara, Mali’s Minister of Defense, were previously sanctioned due to their alleged ties with Russia’s Wagner Group.

This move comes as U.S. Special Envoy to Africa, Nic Cheker, visited Mali last month to discuss the next steps in strengthening bilateral ties.

Washington resumed intelligence sharing with Mali last year to support counter-terrorism efforts.

Cameron Hudson, a former U.S. official, described the action as part of a broader effort to re-engage with the Sahel region, adding that the United States has increased its engagement with Malian officials to resume cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

He emphasized that the U.S. will no longer be constrained in its foreign policy by retreating from countries governed by military councils.

These developments occur as the United States, during the presidency of Joe Biden, lost its primary regional intelligence base in Niger and was prohibited from conducting intelligence gathering flights, severely disrupting its ability to monitor and counter armed groups.