African countries ask Ukraine to return citizens who fought for Russia
Photo: Africans fighting on the side of Russia (from open sources)
Several African countries have asked Ukraine to return their citizens who fought on Russia's side and were captured, reports Bloomberg.
Kenya is negotiating the return of five of its citizens, while Botswana wants to bring one person back.
Kenyan President William Ruto also discussed the issue by phone with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kenyan Foreign Secretary Musalia Mudavadi told lawmakers in Nairobi that the country wants the detained Kenyans to be recognized as "victims of international human trafficking" rather than prisoners of war.
According to him, the men say they were recruited to Russia under the pretext of employment. The youngest Kenyan currently held at a Ukrainian camp is 23.
"The circumstances of their recruitment and conscription are consistent with trafficking in persons," Mudavadi said.
African governments claim that some of their citizens were deceived, then sent to Russia and forced to serve in the Russian army. They were allegedly promised civilian jobs, including positions as drivers, security guards, or cooks.
Russia's recruitment of foreigners
Zimbabwe has also expressed concern over the deceptive recruitment of its citizens abroad. A government statement said that some recruits without prior military training were sent to active front lines in the countries where they were deployed.
Russia and Ukraine were not explicitly named. However, Zimbabwe previously arrested several people suspected of involvement in the recruitment, including two Russian citizens. They are awaiting trial.
On August 21, Botswana reported that eight citizens who were allegedly being recruited into the Russian army had been stopped at airports in the country, South Africa, and Ethiopia. A month earlier, the country's authorities had warned the public about the risk of forced recruitment.
According to a Ukrainian government website, Russia has recruited more than 28,000 foreigners from 135 countries. More than 5,000 of them have been killed. Ukrainian troops have captured citizens of 51 countries.
Documents seen by Bloomberg indicate that Ukraine is holding at least 213 foreign military personnel, excluding Russians and North Korean citizens. Among them are 37 Africans.
The possibility of their return home remains limited. Ukraine insists that foreign prisoners of war can be returned only as part of an exchange for Ukrainians held by Russia.
According to Mudavadi, about 84 Kenyans have been killed or gone missing, another 34 are in hospitals in Russia, and 62 have already returned home.
Under the guise of job offers, the Kremlin is increasingly recruiting Africans to fight in Ukraine.
Russia has recruited more than 1,000 Kenyan citizens for the war.
