- A US citizen has been sentenced to life imprisonment for abusing two teenage girls in Burkina Faso.
- The crimes happened while he was working at the US embassy in Ouagadougou.
- A federal jury in Maryland found him guilty of multiple serious offences.
- The abuse took place at a residence reserved for US diplomatic staff.
- American authorities prosecuted the case under US jurisdiction.
A 41-year-old American citizen has been handed a life sentence after a court found him guilty of sexually abusing two minors while stationed abroad.
The United States Department of Justice confirmed that Fode Sitafa Mara, from Maryland, was sentenced on Wednesday following a two-week trial held in October 2025 at a federal court in the state.
A jury convicted him on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor. He was also found guilty of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, as well as attempted obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors told the court that the offences occurred in 2022 and 2023 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. At the time, Mara was employed by the United States embassy there.
The abuse reportedly took place inside a residence leased for US diplomatic personnel. Because the property was designated for official government use, it fell under US legal authority, allowing American courts to handle the prosecution.
Investigators said the two victims were aged 13 and 15 when the abuse began. Evidence presented in court showed that the acts continued for about a year.
During the trial, prosecutors said the girls came from a vulnerable background and that Mara took advantage of their situation.
Court documents indicated that he used the girls’ mother’s serious illness as leverage, demanding sex in exchange for assistance. He allegedly told them he could not help without receiving something in return.
Authorities also revealed that he provided the teenagers with mobile phones to contact them while his wife was away from home.
In addition to the abuse charges, Mara was convicted of sending sexually explicit messages to one of the girls.
He was also found guilty of trying to persuade a housekeeper to mislead investigators during the probe.
The case was investigated by US authorities with support from officials in Burkina Faso.
The prosecution was conducted under Project Safe Childhood, a national programme launched in 2006 to fight child exploitation.
Following the sentencing, officials said the life term reflected the gravity of the crimes. They stressed that American citizens who commit offences against children abroad will still face justice at home.
US prosecutors described the acts as serious and said the outcome shows that offenders will face severe consequences under the law.
The life sentence now closes a case that drew international attention and highlighted the reach of US law in prosecuting crimes committed overseas.
