The South African government has stated that it received distress calls from 17 citizens who joined mercenary forces in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and are now stranded in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Government spokesman Vincent Magwenya said the men, aged between 20 and 39, were lured to join the forces under the pretext of lucrative contracts. He confirmed that 16 of them are from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into “the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men for these apparently mercenary activities,” Magwenya said in a statement made public on the government’s Channel X.
“President Ramaphosa and the South African government strongly condemn the exploitation of young and vulnerable people by people working with foreign military entities,” Magwenya added.
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Working as a mercenary or fighting on behalf of a foreign government without state authorization is illegal under South African law. The government said it is working through diplomatic channels to ensure the men’s safe return.
Analysts attribute the situation to South Africa’s high unemployment rate, which exceeds 30%, leaving many young people vulnerable to recruitment by foreign actors.
Recent investigations, including one by the BBC, have found evidence that entities linked to Russia are expanding their influence in Africa. The Africa Corps, a mercenary group supposedly controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry, has replaced the Wagner Group in parts of West Africa.
In August, the South African government warned young women to be wary of fake job offers abroad, particularly in Russia, after reports emerged of African women being trafficked to work in drone factories in the country’s Tatarstan region.
Similar cases have been reported elsewhere in Africa, with Kenyan police recently rescuing more than 20 people from a trafficking ring that allegedly lured people to fight in Ukraine.
(BBC)
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