Cameroon confirms 16 killed in Ukraine war amid recruitment fears

Cameroon’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed the deaths of 16 of its nationals in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported on 7 April, raising further questions about African nationals recruited to the war and killed in it.

The ministry said the deaths were confirmed in a 6 April memo addressed to the Russian Embassy in Yaounde. It said the nationals had been serving in what it described as the “special military operations zone” in Ukraine and that arrangements had been made to contact their families.

A separate message issued the same day invited the families of six other Cameroonian nationals living in Russia to report to the ministry for “urgent matters”, without further details.

In March 2025, Cameroon’s defence minister instructed military commanders to take “strict emergency measures” to prevent further defections by active or retired soldiers amid concerns over nationals joining foreign forces.

Similar concerns have been raised elsewhere in Africa, with cases of recruitment into the conflict reported across the continent.

Zimbabwe confirmed the deaths of 15 nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine, while Kenyan authorities have raised concerns over the recruitment of their citizens and said more than 1,000 Kenyans were lured to join the war under false promises. In South Africa, a radio presenter was also accused of recruiting fighters for Russia.

Ukraine has said it believes more than 1,700 Africans have been recruited to fight for Russia, including two Nigerians who were killed while fighting with Russian forces. Several governments have warned that citizens were lured through online job or training offers before being sent to the front lines.

Separate investigations also found that women from across Africa have been lured by online advertisements offering work or study programmes, before being sent to work in facilities assembling attack drones for use in the war.

The cases have prompted concern among governments across Africa over how their citizens are being recruited and deployed to the front lines.

Associated Press, Maghrebi.org