By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into reports that 17 South African men were recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war under false pretenses.
In a statement from the country’s Presidency seen by Heritage Times HT on Thursday, the Presidency said the men aged between 20 and 39, contacted South African authorities after finding themselves stranded in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“Seventeen men, 16 of them from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape province, were lured into joining mercenary forces engaged in the Russia-Ukraine war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts,” the statement said.
South Africa’s Foreign Military Assistance Act of 1998 bans citizens or organizations from providing military support to foreign governments or participating in their armed forces without official authorization.
“President Ramaphosa has directed that an investigation be undertaken into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into what appears to be mercenary activity,” the Presidency added.
Authorities said diplomatic efforts are underway to secure the men’s safe return, following their appeals for government assistance. The statement did not specify which side they were fighting for.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has reportedly intensified the recruitment of foreign fighters, often promising jobs or Russian citizenship.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) recently reported that North Koreans form the largest contingent of foreign fighters supporting Russia, followed by nationals of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Cuba. Smaller groups from Syria, Serbia, Nepal, and several African countries have also been identified.
