A US citizen has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing two teenage girls while working at the US embassy in Burkina Faso.

The US Department of Justice said 41-year-old Fode Sitafa Mara from Maryland was sentenced on Wednesday following a two-week trial in October 2025 in the state's federal District Court.

A jury found him guilty of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, as well as attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted obstruction of justice.

The offenses took place in 2022 and 2023 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, where Mara was employed by the US embassy.

According to evidence presented in court, the abuse occurred at a residence leased for US diplomatic personnel. Because the property was reserved for official use, it fell under US jurisdiction, allowing American authorities to prosecute the case.

Prosecutors said the victims, aged 13 and 15 when the abuse began, came from a vulnerable background. Mara exploited their circumstances over about a year.

He used the girls' mother's life-threatening illness as an opportunity to demand sex, telling them he could not help without receiving something in return.

Mara was also convicted of sending sexually explicit messages to one of the girls and attempting to persuade a housekeeper to mislead investigators.

The case was investigated by US authorities with assistance from Burkina Faso.

In statements after sentencing, US officials said the life term reflected the seriousness of the crimes and underscored the government's commitment to prosecuting child sexual abuse, including offenses committed abroad by American citizens.

Source: www.bbc.com