Former American Embassy Employee Sentenced For Rape of Minors in Burkina Faso.
By Ahmed Musa
A former US Embassy staff, Fode Sitafa Mara has been sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, 26th February, 2026 for forcibly sexually assaulting two minor girls, 15 and 13 years in Burkina Faso in 2022 and 2023. After a two-week trial in October 2025, a federal jury in the District of Maryland convicted Fode Sitafa Mara, 41, of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, as well as one count each of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted obstruction of justice. Mara, a U.S. citizen, was an employee at the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, at the time of his offenses.
“The defendant, while representing the U.S. government abroad, violently sexually abused two acutely vulnerable child victims,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His crimes were reprehensible. While no sentence could undo the harm he caused, today’s outcome demonstrates that those who abuse children – domestically or abroad – will face significant consequences in the American justice system. We thank our partners at the U.S. State Department for helping us pursue justice for these victims.”
“Our message is clear, those who prey on our children will pay a hefty price,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Mara targeted and abused two innocent young girls, and now he’ll be behind bars for a long time where he belongs. We’re committed to partnering with our community and law-enforcement partners to ensure that justice is served by relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting predators who commit these deplorable acts.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is committed to protecting the integrity of U.S. diplomatic missions and ensuring the safety of local communities where we serve,” said Deputy Assistant Director George Semertsidis of the DSS Office of Special Investigations. “We will thoroughly investigate any allegations of criminal conduct by those associated with U.S. diplomatic facilities and work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring offenders to justice. This case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to accountability and the protection of the most vulnerable.”
“Protecting children and safeguarding vulnerable populations from sexual exploitation and abuse is a core priority of the U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG) and we will continue to pursue those who violate that trust wherever they operate,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Laura Rousseau of USAID OIG. “With continued oversight jurisdiction over foreign assistance, USAID OIG will ensure significant consequences for perpetrators, holding accountable anyone who exploits their overseas positions — including individuals employed by the United States, aid organizations, or the United Nations.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Maryland, with assistance from federal law enforcement partners, demonstrated exceptional dedication and professionalism in bringing justice for the victims in this case,” said Acting Executive Director John Condon of HSI. “Their relentless pursuit of the facts and commitment to protecting vulnerable children across the world exemplifies HSI’s mission to investigate crimes that threaten the safety and security of our communities at home and abroad. HSI remains steadfast in its efforts to combat child exploitation and ensure that those who harm children are held fully accountable. I commend our agents for their outstanding work and unwavering dedication to uphold the values of justice and integrity.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mara, on multiple occasions, forcibly raped two teenage Burkinabé girls at his Embassy-leased residence in Ouagadougou. Because the residence was reserved for use by U.S. diplomatic personnel, it fell under the United States’ jurisdiction for prosecution. The previous resident of Mara’s residence had developed a relationship with the minor victims and their family, providing them with nourishment and safety. The minor victims lived in abject poverty in a structure without running water a short distance from what became Mara’s residence.
When Mara arrived, he saw opportunity and immediately capitalized on his access to the victims. Mara repeatedly sexually abused them for approximately one year, beginning when the victims were 13 and 15 years old. He used the girls’ mother’s life-threatening illness as an opportunity to demand sex, telling them he could not help them without receiving something in return. Mara provided the girls with phones so he could summon them while his wife was away at work. Mara was also convicted for sending sexually enticing messages to one of the minor victims and for attempting to persuade his housekeeper to lie to U.S. investigators to help him conceal his crimes.
The DSS Office of Special Investigations and the DSS Regional Security Office at U.S. Embassy Ouagadougou, as well as USAID OIG and HSI, investigated the case. The Burkinabe authorities provided significant assistance.
Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ranganath Manthripragada and Brooke Oki for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
