At least 55 Ghanaians have been killed while fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war, Ghana’s foreign affairs minister said, warning that hundreds more may have been drawn into the conflict through deceptive recruitment schemes.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, speaking during a visit to Kyiv, said Ukrainian authorities estimate that about 272 Ghanaians have been recruited into the war since 2022. Two Ghanaian nationals are currently being held as prisoners of war, he added.
Describing the figures as “depressing and frightening,” Ablakwa said Ghana could not ignore what he called “heartbreaking statistics” affecting families across the country.
He did not specify which side the Ghanaians had fought for. However, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this week that more than 1,700 Africans from 36 countries had been recruited to fight for Russia.
The 55 confirmed deaths represent the highest officially acknowledged casualty figure from a single African country in the conflict. Media reports in Cameroon have claimed that 94 Cameroonians have died in the war, though authorities there have not confirmed the figures. South Africa has reported two deaths, while Kenya has confirmed at least one.
Ablakwa said the Ghanaian government was working to dismantle illegal recruitment networks, including those operating online, and to expand public awareness campaigns aimed at preventing young people from being lured into the war.
“This is not our war, and we cannot allow our youth to become human shields for others,” he said.
His comments came as Kenyan authorities charged a man accused of recruiting young men with promises of jobs in Russia, only for them to be sent to fight in Ukraine. The suspect, Festus Arasa Omwamba, has denied the charges. Kenya’s National Intelligence Service said in a report last week that about 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia since the war began. Russia’s embassy in Nairobi has denied involvement in recruitment but said foreign nationals legally in Russia are permitted to enlist voluntarily.
During his visit to Kyiv, Ablakwa urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to release the two Ghanaian prisoners of war, arguing they were victims of manipulation and criminal trafficking networks. He thanked Ukrainian authorities for respecting international law in their treatment.
“We have received reports that they are in good health and have not suffered any inhumane treatment,” he said.
The family of one detainee, 35-year-old Joshua Nkrumah, told AFP they remain hopeful he will be released. Nkrumah travelled to Russia in July 2024 believing he had secured private security work, according to his family, but was captured by Ukrainian forces two months later after surviving a drone strike. His relatives say they have had no contact with him since.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that foreign nationals fighting for Russia will be treated as enemy combatants, adding that surrender is the only guaranteed way to leave the battlefield alive.
Ukraine has also previously faced criticism over attempts to recruit foreign fighters, including Africans, to fight on its own side of the conflict.