UK Imposes Sanctions on Individuals and Companies Linked to Alleged Wagner’s Human Rights Abuses in Africa

According to an announcement made on the government website on Thursday, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and companies accused of involvement in human rights abuses by the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in Mali, the Central African Republic, and Sudan. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans within the UK. This followed a Wednesday announcement by Yevgeny Prigozhin, saying Wagner will leave the Ukrainian front for “a new path to Africa”.

Thirteen new UK sanctions announced targeting individuals and businesses linked to the actions of Wagner Group in Africa. The UK government has today (Thursday 20 July) announced a wave of sanctions against individuals and businesses involved with the Wagner Group in Mali, Central African Republic ( CAR ) and Sudan.

Among the targeted individuals are Russians, including Ivan Maslov in Mali and Vitali Perfilev and Konstantin Pikalov in the Central African Republic. The accused are alleged to have committed executions, torture, and threats to peace and security in the mentioned countries.

The UK also sanctioned mining and security companies accused of financing Wagner or participating in its operations. Western analysts say Wagner’s future is uncertain after its leader, Evguéni Prigojine, allegedly faced a rebellion in Russia in June. The UK remains concerned about what it regards as Wagner’s destabilizing role in the region.