Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha has said that more than 1,700 Africans are fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine, adding that Moscow is tricking them into the war, Reuters reports.
Speaking alongside Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Sibikha said talks are underway with African governments on measures to prevent their citizens from being drawn into such schemes. Ghana will chair the African Union regional bloc next year.
Sibikha stressed at a press conference that Russia’s attempts to involve African citizens in a deadly war are clearly visible. Ukrainian data shows that about 1,780 people from Africa are currently fighting on the Russian side. They come from 36 different countries.
Russian authorities have denied that they are illegally recruiting African citizens for Moscow’s armed forces.
However, there are increasing reports of Africans being lured to Russia with promises of work that turn out to be going to the front. This has caused tension between Moscow and some of the countries involved.
Ghana’s foreign minister said that the Africans fighting on Moscow’s side are victims of fraud. They have no experience in security structures or the army, and they have not been trained. “They were just lured and deceived, and then put on the frontlines.,” Ablakwa said.
The minister expressed solidarity with Ukraine and called for a ceasefire. He also said he would ask Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to release two Ghanaian citizens who were captured fighting in Russian ranks.
Ablakwa said that during the country’s presidency of the African Union, Ghana would hold campaigns to draw public attention to human trafficking networks that use false means to recruit people to fight on Moscow’s side.
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