55 Ghanaians Killed in Ukraine War: Accra

At least 55 Ghanaians have been killed while fighting in the Ukraine war, Ghana’s foreign minister said, pledging a crackdown on illegal recruitment networks accused of luring citizens to Russia under false promises.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said that 272 Ghanaians are believed to have been recruited to fight since 2022, with an estimated 55 killed and two captured as prisoners of war. He described the recruits as victims of manipulation, misinformation, and criminal trafficking schemes.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics,” Ablakwa wrote on X. “These are not just numbers; they represent human lives and the hopes of many Ghanaian families.”

Ablakwa travelled to Kyiv this week to discuss the fate of two detained Ghanaians with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiga. Ukrainian officials told him that more than 1,780 Africans from 36 countries are fighting as part of Russia’s forces.

Several African governments have recently reported that their citizens were misled into travelling to Russia with promises of lucrative civilian jobs, only to be compelled to sign military contracts and sent to the front lines with limited training.

The All Eyes on Wagner monitoring project said earlier this month that the recruitment of African nationals appears to be part of a deliberate strategy to reinforce Russia’s military ranks as the conflict drags on. According to the group, the largest contingents have come from Egypt, Cameroon, and Ghana, with recruitment carried out by transnational networks exploiting socio-economic vulnerabilities.

In Kenya, authorities have charged a key figure in an alleged trafficking network accused of sending more than 1,000 citizens to fight for the Russian army. South Africa has also launched an investigation after several nationals returned home from the conflict. President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for facilitating the return of South Africans who had been recruited.

Uganda, Gambia, and Nigeria have similarly raised concerns about citizens becoming involved in foreign conflicts.

In a report published Friday, the International Crisis Group warned that the recruitment scandal shows the Ukraine war is no longer a distant geopolitical issue for African governments. As their citizens become directly entangled in the conflict, leaders may face growing domestic pressure that complicates their stance of non-alignment.