Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that 62 Ghanaians have died while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, while another 15 citizens remain missing after allegedly travelling to Russia through illegal recruitment arrangements.
The Foreign Affairs Minister revealed the figures during a press briefing in Moscow after holding bilateral discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
According to Ablakwa, preventing the illegal recruitment and trafficking of Ghanaian youth into the Russia-Ukraine conflict was one of the major issues discussed during the diplomatic engagement.
The minister said some young Ghanaians have been deceived through fraudulent recruitment schemes and subsequently ended up participating in the ongoing war.
Ablakwa expressed concern over the rising number of Ghanaian casualties, confirming that 62 citizens have so far lost their lives, while 15 others who travelled to Russia remain unaccounted for.
He welcomed Russia’s commitment to cooperate with Ghana in investigating and dismantling human trafficking networks and illegal recruitment syndicates targeting young people from Ghana and other African countries.
The minister stressed that the Ghanaian government would intensify efforts to protect young people from fraudulent overseas employment and recruitment schemes.
“This is not our war and it should not be claiming Ghanaian lives.”
Ghana-Russia Education Cooperation Expanded
The Ghana-Russia diplomatic discussions also produced agreements in education, science, technology and energy cooperation.
Russia has agreed to double the number of full scholarships available to Ghanaian students, increasing the annual allocation from 120 to 240 scholarships.
The expanded scholarship programme will focus particularly on strategic fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Priority areas are expected to include artificial intelligence, engineering, petroleum science and pharmaceutical studies.
The development is expected to create more opportunities for Ghanaian students to pursue advanced education and acquire technical skills needed to support the country’s economic transformation.
Ghana and Russia Strengthen Nuclear Energy Cooperation
Ghana and Russia also agreed to deepen cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy development as Ghana explores ways to diversify its electricity generation mix.
The collaboration supports Ghana’s long-term plan to incorporate approximately 700 megawatts of nuclear power into the national electricity grid while continuing its transition towards cleaner and sustainable energy sources.
The two countries further agreed to strengthen cooperation on international issues, including counterterrorism, climate change and reform of the United Nations system.
The latest Ghana-Russia engagement therefore combines security, education, energy and diplomatic cooperation, while Ghana continues efforts to protect its citizens from illegal recruitment linked to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Source: newsthemegh.com