A report published by Cameroun Actuel has highlighted the recruitment of Cameroonian and other African citizens to serve with Russian forces in Ukraine.
The August 12 commentary alleges that Cameroon has suffered the highest number of African casualties among those recruited to serve with Russian forces, with total deaths potentially reaching 1,000.
The Lansing Institute cited investigative estimates of about 335 Cameroonian recruits, including approximately 94 deaths. Other Ukrainian and media-based tallies have placed the number of Cameroonian fatalities above 100.
The issue gained further prominence in April, when Cameroon acknowledged that 16 of its citizens had died while serving as military contractors alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The deaths were reported after Russia transmitted the names to Cameroonian authorities.
Cameroun Actuel said many recruits travelled to Russia after responding to offers of education, employment, sports opportunities or cultural exchanges. Some allegedly entered the country on student visas or employment contracts before being directed toward military enlistment. The report said recruitment networks operated through social media, messaging applications, local intermediaries and Russian-linked organizations.
In a statement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Russia was trying to recruit more African citizens into its armed forces, and called on African governments to warn their citizens.
The report also highlighted the Alabuga Start program, based at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia’s Tatarstan region. The facility is associated with the production of drones used by Russia’s defense industry.
The United Kingdom sanctioned Cameroon-linked Enangue Holding in May, accusing the company of recruiting foreign nationals, largely from Cameroon, for the program. British authorities said Alabuga Start uses “deceptive” practices to recruit people from economically insecure backgrounds and places them in work connected to military-drone production.
The allegations have intensified calls in Cameroon for tighter regulation of overseas recruitment agencies, stronger monitoring of employment advertisements and public warnings about military-linked programs.
