Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Officials say 17 men, aged between 20 and 39, are currently stranded in the embattled Donbas region and have asked for emergency assistance.
In September, Kenyan police announced they had rescued over 20 people from a suspected trafficking network that offered fake Russian job opportunities but intended to send recruits to the frontlines in Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials have also said that their prisoner of war camps include captured fighters from various countries, including Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba and Sri Lanka.
And now, South Africa’s government says it is investigating how 17 of its citizens ended up fighting as mercenaries in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Government alarm
According to Reuters, President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry into “the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these apparently mercenary activities.”
Authorities have not confirmed which side of the conflict the group was fighting for.
The BBC notes that under South African law, working as a mercenary or fighting for a foreign state without authorization is a criminal offense.
The presidency said the men were enticed with promises of high-paying contracts before being sent into the conflict zone.
Government spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Pretoria is using “diplomatic channels” to secure their safe return.
Exploiting the vulnerable
“President Ramaphosa and the South African government strongly condemn the exploitation of vulnerable youth by individuals working with foreign military entities,” Magwenya said.
Analysts have warned that South Africa’s high unemployment rate—now above 30 percent, and even higher among young people—makes many citizens susceptible to false recruitment offers.
The BBC has reported growing signs that Russia is expanding its influence across Africa.
The state-linked Africa Corps, run by Russia’s defense ministry, has taken over operations once led by the Wagner Group after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a 2023 plane crash.
Warnings to job seekers
In August, Pretoria cautioned young women to be wary of job offers abroad, especially in Russia, after reports surfaced of exploitative recruitment schemes.
A BBC investigation published Wednesday found that women from several African and South Asian nations were taken to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, Russia, to work in a drone manufacturing facility.
More than 1,000 women are believed to have been recruited for these jobs.
Sources: Reuters, BBC
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation
