In Summary:
- The United States imposes sanctions on entities allegedly aiding Russia’s “malign activities” in the Central African Republic (CAR) and supporting the Wagner mercenary group.
- Sanctioned entities include a CAR-based timber company and a Russia-based firm accused of facilitating illicit resource extraction and providing support to the Wagner Group.
The United States has initiated sanctions against two entities, accusing them of furthering Russia’s “malign activities” in the Central African Republic (CAR) and backing the Wagner mercenary group, as revealed by the U.S. Treasury Department.
According to the Treasury, these entities, a timber company based in CAR and a company situated in St. Petersburg, Russia, have allegedly engaged in financial gains through illicit natural resource extraction and extended material and financial assistance to the Wagner Group and affiliated organizations associated with its former owner, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who passed away in a plane explosion in Russia in 2023.
The sanctions specifically target Bois Rouge SARLU, headquartered in CAR, for its connections to Wagner, and Broker Expert, located in St. Petersburg, for its support of Bois Rouge.
Brian Nelson, the Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, condemned Russia’s exploitation of these Wagner-affiliated companies, emphasizing their detrimental impact on host countries, their institutions, and citizens.
Nelson stated, “The United States remains focused on disrupting the networks that enable Russia’s illicit and destabilizing activities in Africa.”
The Central African Republic, once a French colony, has emerged as a key African ally of Russia, hosting one of the Wagner Group’s largest foreign operations.
Wagner, notorious for its involvement in conflicts across Libya, Syria, Mali, and other nations, has been engaged in some of the most intense clashes during the Ukraine war.
The private army was established in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and its support for pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
The wreckage of a Russian T-72 tank, salvaged from the village of Dmytrivka near Kyiv, Ukraine, is exhibited near the Brandenburg Gate during a commemorative event marking the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Berlin, Germany, on February 24, 2023. (File Photo | Courtesy)
The United States has previously enforced sanctions on Wagner, consistently denouncing its destabilizing actions and human rights violations.
These sanctions have intensified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, as the United States continues to scrutinize and counteract Wagner’s activities on the global stage.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, India disclosed a disturbing revelation about a human trafficking network exploiting young men, funneling them into unwitting involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation uncovered the operation, which coerced individuals into military service under false pretenses.
About 35 men have fallen victim to this scheme, with some losing their lives in combat, despite expecting employment opportunities in Russia.
The CBI’s investigation revealed the sophisticated tactics employed by the traffickers, including the promise of admission to questionable universities and visa extensions.
‘The trafficked Indian nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases in Russia-Ukraine War Zone against their wishes,’ stated the CBI.
These revelations underscore the global ramifications of Russia’s actions and the urgent need for concerted international efforts to address such illicit activities.