US sanctions leader of Wagner Group for fueling conflict in Mali and Sudan.

The US Treasury Department has accused the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, of destabilizing Sudan by supplying surface-to-air missiles to one of the sides in the country's ongoing conflict. The group has been present in Sudan since 2017, providing security services and overseeing gold mining concessions. The Treasury Department has also imposed sanctions on Wagner's chief in Mali, Ivan Aleksandrovich Maslov, for allegedly seeking help from Mali to secure military gear for Russia's war in Ukraine. Wagner's wider aim has been to bolster Moscow's influence in Africa, with the proceeds helping to fund Russia's war in Ukraine.