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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, citing 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. Of that number, an estimated 55 have been killed, while two are currently being 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 campaigns 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, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations between Ghana and Ukraine.
He further disclosed that the two captured Ghanaians have cautioned young people against being enticed by promises of financial rewards to join the conflict, warning of the grave dangers involved.
The revelation has renewed concerns about human trafficking networks targeting vulnerable African youth with offers of lucrative opportunities abroad, only to deploy them to active war zones.