The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on one individual and four companies linked to Russian mercenary group Wagner's leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to documents posted on the US Department of Treasury website.
Two of the companies were mining firms in the Central African Republic, the department said. The other two were identified as wholesale firms - one in the United Arab Emirates and the other in Russia.
At the same time, the US published an advisory urging due diligence among companies involved in Africa's gold sector, citing illicit actors, including the Wagner group.