On June 27, a broad lineup of U.S. government departments and
agencies issued an "Africa Gold Advisory." The 29-page
Advisory, jointly issued by the U.S. Departments of State,
Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security, and Labor, together with the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), identifies major
risks associated with transacting with the African gold sector and
urges U.S. businesses to conduct careful due diligence before
engaging in any such transaction.
To a substantial extent, the issuance of the Advisory was
motivated by the activities of the Wagner Group, recently in the
news for its confrontation with the Putin government, but long the
subject of U.S. sanctions for various malign activities. The Wagner
Group derives significant revenue through the African gold sector,
especially in Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Mali.