At least 55 Ghanaians have been killed in Russia’s war with Ukraine after being “lured into battle”, Ghana’s foreign minister said following a visit to Kyiv where officials raised concerns about Russian recruitment of Africans.
Reports that African men were enticed to travel to Russia with promises of jobs and then ended up on Ukraine’s frontlines have become more frequent, straining relations between Moscow and several African states. Russian authorities deny illegally recruiting African citizens to fight in Ukraine.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana’s foreign minister, said on X that “272 Ghanaians are believed to have been lured into battle since 2022 for which an estimated 55 have been killed and 2 captured as prisoners of war.” Standing alongside Ablakwa at a media briefing, Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said more than 1,780 Africans from 36 countries were fighting in the Russian army.
Ablakwa said Ghana planned to raise awareness about recruitment and to dismantle “dark web illegal recruitment schemes operating within our jurisdiction”, adding: “This is not our war and we cannot allow our youth to become human shields for others.” He said the government would intensify public education and work to track and dismantle illegal recruitment networks. The two captured Ghanaians have warned others against being tempted by financial incentives to join the conflict.
South Africa’s government this week said two of its citizens had died on the frontlines; these deaths were separate from a group of 17 South Africans who were allegedly tricked into fighting for Russia and mostly repatriated. In South Africa, Duduzile Zuma‑Sambudla, a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, is under police investigation over alleged involvement in luring more than a dozen men to Russia.
A Kenyan intelligence report says more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia. Kenya’s foreign ministry reported 27 Kenyans rescued after being stranded in Russia, and foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi said he plans to visit Russia in March to discuss the issue.