A US citizen has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing two teenage girls while serving at the American embassy in Burkina Faso, the US Department of Justice has announced.
Fode Sitafa Mara, 41, of Maryland, was convicted following a two-week trial in October 2025 at a federal court in Maryland. On Wednesday, the court handed him a life sentence after 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.
Prosecutors said the offences took place in 2022 and 2023 in Ouagadougou, where Mara was employed by the US embassy. The abuse occurred at a residence leased for American diplomatic personnel. Because the property was designated for official US use, it fell under US jurisdiction, allowing American authorities to prosecute the case.
According to evidence presented in court, the victims were 13 and 15 years old when the abuse began. Prosecutors said Mara exploited their vulnerable family circumstances over the course of about a year, including using their mother’s serious illness to manipulate them. He allegedly provided the girls with mobile phones to contact them and arranged meetings when his wife was away.
Mara was also found guilty of sending sexually explicit messages to one of the victims and attempting to persuade a housekeeper to mislead investigators.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. US authorities worked in coordination with officials in Burkina Faso during the investigation.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva described the crimes as “reprehensible,” adding that the life sentence reflected the gravity of the offences and underscored the US government’s commitment to prosecuting child sexual abuse, including crimes committed abroad by American citizens.
US Attorney Kelly Hayes for the District of Maryland said the outcome sent a clear message that those who exploit children would face severe consequences under US law.
