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US President Donald Trump issued a decree on Friday laying down the bases for sanctions for those who have exacerbated the "deterioration of the situation in Mali," the White House announced.
The decree will freeze badets and suspend travel for "individuals or entities seeking to undermine the peace, security or stability of Mali," said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement.
Mali is struggling to calm the unrest that began in 2012 in the north of the country and spread to other parts of the country, despite the help of French and UN forces.
"Extremist groups exploit ethnic tensions and develop their networks well beyond the borders of Mali," added Pompeo, without specifying who could be targeted by the sanctions.
A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said anyone sanctioned "can no longer access the US financial system".
Last week, Washington imposed sanctions on a Malian Islamist group linked to Al Qaeda, which carried out deadly attacks against the country's armed forces.
In 2015, a peace agreement was signed with some armed factions, but parts of Mali are beyond the control of the government and the armed forces.
The UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, "has faced more violence and danger than any other peacekeeping mission in the history of the UN. "said Pompeo.
The Trump administration has expressed its disinterest in such missions by reducing its financial contribution to UN peacekeeping and advocating a significant reduction in blue helmet operations worldwide.
In 2017, the United Nations introduced sanctions against individuals accused of interfering with the peace process in the country.
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