At a high-level technical session of political consultations between Ghana and Russia held at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Accra on 12th March 2026, the West African country raised concerns over the recruitment of Ghanaian youth in Russia’s war against Ukraine, calling for both countries to work together to address the issue.
Complaints in Ghana and many other African countries have been made against Russia, accusing the country of actively recruiting African citizens and luring them into its war against Ukraine. Reports have revealed that recruits are carried out by traffickers through informal agents and social media platforms under the guise of providing victims with high-paying job opportunities in Europe. A Geneva-based institution, Inpact, has verified several lists of recruits it obtained after investigating Russia’s recruitment network, with one claiming 1,417 citizens across the continent.
In February 2026, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, visited President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss the release of two Ghanaians captured by Ukrainian servicemen while fighting for Russia. According to the minister, over 272 Ghanaians may have been lured into the war, with 55 believed to be killed as of February 2026.
Ghana aims to protect its citizens and maintain diplomatic relations with Russia and Ukraine while staying neutral in the conflict, said Ablakwa. “But let me be clear: where Ghanaian citizens are being harmed, deceived, or drawn into a war they did not understand, we will speak plainly and we will act,” he added.
Russia, on the other hand, has denied illegally recruiting African citizens. According to a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, Pier Pigou, “For the vast majority of people, it’s a case of ‘these dudes are just trying to earn a living. And because their countries don’t provide that for them, they’re going to … take opportunities that arise.”
Kenya, South Africa Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, among others, are some of the African countries that claim to have had their citizens recruited in Russia’s war with Ukraine, with most of these countries making efforts to address the problem. “This is bigger than Ghana,” “If Africans are being lured into a foreign war through deception and exploitation, then Africa should respond collectively,” according to Ablakwa.
South Africa’s director general of Foreign Affairs has revealed that despite ongoing investigations to reveal the circumstances surrounding the recruitment, there is no evidence so far pointing to the involvement of the Russian state.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah