A US federal court has sentenced Fode Sitafa Mara, a 41-year-old former US embassy employee, to life in prison for sexually abusing two teenage girls in Burkina Faso.
Mara, from Maryland, was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, coercion, and obstruction of justice.
The abuse occurred in 2022-2023 at a US diplomatic residence in Ouagadougou, where Mara worked. He exploited the girls’ vulnerable circumstances, using their mother’s illness to demand sex.
Mara was also convicted of sending explicit messages and attempting to intimidate witnesses.
The sentence reflects the gravity of Mara’s crimes and the US government’s commitment to prosecuting child sexual abuse committed abroad.
