US sanctions have frozen assets, including those of former President of Guinea Conde and son of former President Keita of Mali.
The United States has impose sanctions more than 40 people and organizations accused of human rights abuses from nine countries, including the former President of Guinea Conde Alpha and Karim Keita, son of former Malian leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Karim Keita.
In a statement released Friday, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the announcement was the result of a thorough and multi-year investigation.
Conde, who was overthrow in a coup in September 2021, was sanctioned for being “involved in serious human rights violations”.
In 2010, Conde became Guinea’s first democratically elected leader and was re-elected to a controversial third term following a constitutional referendum 10 years later. His presidency was bogged down by accusations of rampant corruption and mass human rights abuses.
In May, the attorney general of Guinea legal procedures against Conde and 26 of his former officials for alleged crimes, including acts of violence while in office. Charges range from complicity in murder and assault to property destruction.
Follow statement announced by the US Embassy in Guinea, Conde’s security forces engaged in violence against opposition supporters and “the government arbitrarily arrested and detained opposition members” on 2020.
Meanwhile, Keita served as chairman of the National Assembly’s Security and Defense Committee in Mali from February 2014 until he dad was ousted in an August 2020 coup. He used his position to receive bribes, embezzle public funds and remove other officials who did not support his actions, the US said. know.
Keita is also accused of taking part in the kidnapping, torture and murder of reporter Birama Toure, who is investigating his involvement in corruption.
Brian Nelson, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a separate statement on Friday: “Corruption and human rights abusers all rely on flaws in the international financial system. economy to carry out their activities.
“Over the past year, the Ministry of Finance has made combating corruption and serious human rights abuses a top priority, including through the use of financial sanctions and addressing vulnerabilities in the system. U.S. and international finance. By exposing the serious behavior of these guys, we can help disrupt their activities, destroy their networks and drain them of resources,” he added.
The announced sanctions froze any US assets of those affected and barred US citizens from dealing with them.
Individuals and organizations from North Korea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iran, the Philippines, Russia, China’s Tibet Autonomous Region and elsewhere are also included in the sanctions list.
