The European Union has sanctioned the subsidiary of Russia’s Wagner Group in Sudan, Meroe Gold, for facilitating the exploitation of Sudan’s gold wealth. The sanctions came after a CNN investigation into the group’s activities last July. A Russian national, Mikhail Potepkin was named in the sanctions along with Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner group subsidiary Meroe Gold. 

The two entities were listed for serious human rights abuses, including torture, executions and killings in several countries. Meroe Gold is the front company for the Wagner Group’s activities in Sudan and is involved in the activities of Meroe’s parent company, M-Invest. The CNN investigation exposed the ways the Wagner Group and Meroe Gold were operating in Sudan and were able to circumvent US sanctions on the group. The Russian scheme was an attempt to use Sudan’s riches to fortify Russia against Western sanctions and to support Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.

Read More: EU sanctions Wagner subsidiary in Sudan after CNN investigation into gold exploitation