South Africa’s government has confirmed that 17 of its citizens, aged between 20 and 39, are stranded in Ukraine’s war-ravaged Donbas region after being recruited into mercenary activities under false pretences.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya revealed that the young men were promised lucrative contracts but found themselves caught in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war instead. The government has launched a full investigation into how they were recruited and is working through diplomatic channels to secure their safe return home.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an immediate probe into the incident, condemning what he called the “exploitation of young, vulnerable people by individuals collaborating with foreign military entities.” Sixteen of the stranded men are reportedly from KwaZulu-Natal, and one from the Eastern Cape.
Under South African law, participating in foreign conflicts or mercenary activities without government authorization is a criminal offense.
Analysts say that South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate, which exceeds 30%, makes many young people particularly vulnerable to fraudulent overseas recruitment schemes that promise fast money and adventure.
The revelations come amid growing evidence of Russia’s increasing influence in Africa, following the replacement of the Wagner Group with a new Kremlin-controlled mercenary network known as Africa Corps.
Earlier this year, the South African government also warned young women against online job offers in Russia after a BBC investigation exposed a trafficking operation that sent recruits to work in drone factories at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan.
Similar trafficking and recruitment patterns have been uncovered across the continent. In September, Kenyan police rescued more than 20 people from a syndicate that had lured them with fake jobs in Russia but intended to send them to fight in Ukraine instead.
Ukraine has also faced criticism for recruiting foreign nationals to join its army, with reports that Africans, Cubans, and South Asians have been captured as prisoners of war. In 2022, Senegal’s foreign ministry summoned Ukraine’s ambassador after Kyiv’s embassy posted a call for foreign fighters to enlist.
The South African government says it remains committed to bringing its trapped citizens home and ensuring accountability for those behind the recruitment scheme.
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