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A former US diplomat has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing two teenage girls while posted in West Africa.

The US Department of Justice said 41-year-old Fode Sitafa Mara, of Maryland, was convicted in federal court of four counts of aggravated

 sexual abuse of a minor, as well as attempted coercion and obstruction of justice, following a trial in October 2025.

Prosecutors said the offences occurred in 2022 and 2023 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, where he worked at the US embassy. The abuse took place at a residence leased for diplomatic staff, placing it under US jurisdiction.

Authorities said the victims, aged 13 and 15, were from vulnerable backgrounds and were exploited over about a year. The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative to combat child sexual exploitation.