US Imposes Visa Restrictions On 2 Malian Military Commanders - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2023) The United States has imposed visa restrictions on two Malian military commanders for their alleged roles in human rights violations in the city of Moura, the US State Department announced on Thursday.

"Today, the Department of State is imposing visa restrictions on two Malian military commanders ... for their involvement in gross violations of human rights," the State Department said in a press release. "Col. Moustaph Sangare, then-commander of the 33rd Parachute Commando Regiment, and Maj. Lassine Togola, acting commander of the Autonomous Special Forces Battalion, were responsible for elements of the Malian armed forces that conducted the operation in Moura.

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According to the State Department, the Malian Armed Forces allegedly conducted a military operation in Moura in March 2022 with the support of the Russian private military company Wagner Group, resulting in more than 500 casualties.

The action adds to the US Treasury Department's decision to impose sanctions on the head of the Wagner Group in Mali, Ivan Laslov, that was announced earlier in the day.