The US on Monday imposed sanctions on three Malian officials, including the Minister of Defence, over accusations that they organised and increased the Russian Wagner Group's activities in the country.
The US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Mali's Defence Minister Sadio Camara after he visited Russia in 2021 to solidify an agreement between Wagner and the Malian transitional government to bring the mercenary force to the West African country.
Russia and Mali have said Russian fighters in the African nation are not mercenaries but trainers helping local troops to fight a decade-long insurgency by militants.
In June, the US said it was concerned about Wagner's destabilising activities in Africa and accused the leader of the mercenary force of helping to engineer the departure of UN peacekeepers from Mali.
“The United States will continue to take action against those who facilitate the Wagner Group’s destabilising activities, which pose threats to peace and security in Mali and the region,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
In May, Washington also said the Wagner Group might be working through Mali and other countries to hide its efforts to acquire military equipment for use in Ukraine.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
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How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
