Russia Recruits 1,400 Africans to Fight in Ukraine as Families Demand Answers
African families are searching for missing relatives who were recruited into the Russian army, as leaders meet in Moscow for the Russia-Africa Summit.
More than 1,400 Africans have been enlisted to fight for Russia in Ukraine since 2023, according to figures discussed as African leaders gathered for the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow [274747]. The two-day summit, which opened on Wednesday with more than 20 African heads of state in attendance, tests Russia's bid to expand its influence on the continent as Moscow faces heavy sanctions over its war in Ukraine [274327].
The sensitive issue of African recruits is largely absent from the official agenda, but it is growing in urgency. In Tunisia, families of several men who traveled to Russia for work or study are still searching for answers about what happened to their loved ones [274766]. The men were forcibly conscripted to fight in the war in Ukraine [274766].
African leaders attending the summit are under pressure at home to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over their citizens being tricked into joining Russia's war effort. Many of those recruited are then trafficked into combat zones [272679].
In Cameroon, a group called "Bring Back Our Sons and Brothers" held a peaceful march to the Russian embassy on Wednesday, asking Russia and the Cameroonian government to work together to shut down secret networks that recruit Cameroonians into the Russian army [274787].
The problem extends beyond Africa. Kazakhstan, Kenya, and Kyrgyzstan are working to extract their citizens from Russia's war effort. Kyrgyzstan reports that some of its migrants are being forced into military contracts, and Russia has told Kenya that unit commanders decide requests to leave the service on a case-by-case basis [271719].
At the summit, Putin told African leaders that Moscow is their best partner and called for an end to Western domination of the continent [274813].