Dear Supporter,

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten and reshape our global economy, there are many uncertainties that lie ahead. One thing we can count on, though, is that corruption will continue to plague some of the world’s most vulnerable economies. Keeping a spotlight on corrupt actors and analyzing the impact of financial tools of pressure, specifically targeted network sanctions, remains at the forefront of The Sentry’s work. Today, The Sentry examined the use of these sanctions in two different pieces: a policy brief, and an op-ed published in Haaretz.

In the brief “Targeted Network Sanctions in Africa and the COVID-19 Pandemic,” The Sentry's Hilary Mossberg elucidates the differences between targeted network sanctions and broader, comprehensive sanctions programs, and the intentions and ramifications of each. The brief comes in response to recent calls to ease sanctions around the world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an action that The Sentry argues would be counterproductive in cases of targeted network sanctions. In order to tackle this outbreak, it is more important than ever to ensure that vital resources and assistance are neither diverted nor delayed by corrupt actors–activities that targeted network sanctions help to deter. As a result, removing targeted network sanctions in countries rife with corruption would undermine efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read The Sentry’s brief on targeted network sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sentry’s op-ed in Haaretz, “Is an Israeli Diamond Tycoon Using Trump-adjacent Lobbyists to Subvert U.S. Foreign Policy?,” also analyzes the efficacy of sanctions, specifically those related to Israeli business tycoon Dan Gertler and corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Sentry's John Prendergast and Sasha Lezhnev warn that Gertler, sanctioned by the US for his involvement in grand corruption, is actively attempting to dodge those sanctions and continue looting the DRC of its natural resources. They caution that, unless the US closes these gaps and doubles down on its sanctions, Gertler and his cronies will seriously undermine US anti-corruption efforts.

Read The Sentry’s op-ed on US sanctions on Dan Gertler.

Sincerely,
Brad Brooks-Rubin
Managing Director