Fifty-five Ghanaians have been killed in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine after allegedly being lured into the conflict by criminal recruitment networks, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed.
In a Facebook post following his official visit to Kyiv, the Minister disclosed that Ukrainian authorities, based on what he described as credible intelligence, have documented 1,780 Africans from 36 countries who were trafficked to join the war against Ukraine.
According to him, 272 Ghanaians are believed to have been recruited into the conflict since 2022, with an estimated 55 killed and two currently held 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
Mr Ablakwa said the government would intensify public education to warn young people about the dangers of illegal recruitment schemes linked to the war.
“The Mahama Administration is committed to tracking and dismantling all dark web illegal recruitment schemes operating within our jurisdiction. This is not our war and we cannot allow our youth to become human shields for others,” he stressed.
During the visit, the Minister met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, and joined him in laying flowers at the Wall of Remembrance. He described their discussions as substantive and focused on strengthening bilateral relations.
He also noted that the two captured Ghanaians cautioned the youth against being enticed by financial incentives to join the conflict, warning of the grave dangers involved.
The disclosure has renewed concerns about human trafficking networks targeting vulnerable African youth with promises of lucrative opportunities abroad, only to deploy them to active war zones.
