Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has disclosed that 55 Ghanaians have died in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine after reportedly being drawn into it by criminal recruitment networks.
The Minister revealed in a Facebook post after his official visit to Kyiv that Ukrainian authorities had identified 1,780 Africans from 36 countries who were transported to fight against Ukraine, based on what he called reliable intelligence.
He claims that since 2022, 272 Ghanaians are thought to have been enlisted in the war, of whom 55 are said to have been murdered and two are presently being detained as prisoners of war.
“As a responsible government, we cannot turn a blind eye to these heartbreaking statistics. These are not just numbers, they represent human lives, the hope of many Ghanaian families and our nation,” he stated.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, the government would step up public education efforts to alert youth to the risks associated with illicit recruitment schemes related to the conflict.
“The Mahama Administration is committed to tracking and dismantling all dark web illegal recruitment schemes operating within our jurisdiction.”
He emphasised, “This is not our war and we cannot allow our youth to become human shields for others.”
The Minister met with Andrii Sybiha, his Ukrainian counterpart, during the tour, and they both laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance. According to him, their conversations were meaningful and centred on enhancing their bilateral ties.
He added that the two captured Ghanaians warned the young people about the serious risks involved in the fight and advised them not to be seduced by financial rewards to join it.
Concerns regarding human trafficking organisations that prey on vulnerable African youth by promising them lucrative jobs overseas and then sending them to conflict areas have been rekindled by the revelation.
Source: newsthemegh.com