Britain, on Thursday, sanctioned 13 individuals and businesses in the Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan with links to Russia’s Wagner Group.
The group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was described as the “right-hand man,” was also sanctioned.
The British government said it had added Wagner officials to its sanctions list, accusing them of being responsible for executions and torture in Mali and the Central African Republic and of threats to peace and security in Sudan.
The sanctions came weeks after Mr Prigozhin’s failed mutiny in Russia, which raised questions about the future of Wagner’s military and commercial operations in countries including CAR.
The British government, in a statement, said newly-sanctioned Konstantin Pikalyov, who now faces asset freezes in the UK and a travel ban, is an important advisor of Mr Prigozhin’s as well as being the operational head of Wagner in the CAR.
Britain’s minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said, “wherever Wagner operates, it has a catastrophic effect on communities, worsens existing conflicts and damages the reputations of countries that host them.’’
Among others sanctioned were Vitaly Perfilov in the CAR and Alexander Maloletko, who it called a close associate of Mr Prigozhin, plus Ivan Maslov, the head of the Wagner Group in Mali.
In Sudan, Britain added Mikhail Potepkin, who it said was associated with the Wagner Group as well as being a director of mining company, Meroe Gold.
Meroe Gold was among three businesses the government said it had sanctioned in Sudan for acting as fronts for the Wagner Group and threatening peace and security.
It said Meroe Gold had imported equipment, including weapons, helicopters and military trucks.