US sanctions on Wagner Group-linked timber companies in the Central African Republic

In May 2024, the US levied sanctions on two companies (Mining Industries SARLU and Logistique Economique Etrangere SARLU) linked to the Wagner Group (now known as the Africa Corps), a private Russian military company that is backed by the Kremlin and active in many African countries. According to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Wagner Group has established a vast security and business network in the Central African Republic, which includes involvement in illegal logging and timber trafficking.