THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Ghana says at least 62 of its citizens have been killed and 15 others remain missing after travelling to Russia and becoming involved in the war against Ukraine, prompting Accra to seek Moscow’s help in stopping what it calls the illegal recruitment of Ghanaian nationals.
Ghana says 62 of its citizens have now been killed and 15 more remain missing after being drawn into Russia’s war against Ukraine, a sharp rise from the 55 deaths the government had reported as recently as July. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed the updated figures in Moscow on 17 August, following bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during a three-day official visit that also produced a landmark visa waiver deal for holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports. The agreement is the first of its kind between Ghana and Russia since the two countries established formal bilateral relations on 14 January 1958.
Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, Ablakwa said Accra had once again pressed Russia to halt what it considers the illegal recruitment of Ghanaian youth into the conflict, describing the trend as an increasingly serious concern for his government. Many of those affected, Ghanaian officials say, travelled to Russia after responding to job advertisements in construction, hospitality and logistics, only to be enlisted for military service once there. “This is not our war, and it should not claim the lives of Ghanaians,” Ablakwa said.
Lavrov did not dispute that Ghanaians are fighting in Russia’s ranks, but rejected the framing of illegal recruitment, saying those involved had signed voluntary contracts with Russia’s defence ministry, some citing solidarity with a country they credited with helping Africa confront racism, others financial need. He said Moscow would work with Ghana to review such cases.
The grim update came alongside a set of cooperation agreements. Russia has doubled its annual scholarship allocation for Ghanaian students from 120 to 240 places, with the fully funded places prioritising artificial intelligence, engineering, petroleum sciences and pharmaceuticals.
The two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation on Ghana’s plans to introduce nuclear power into its energy mix. Ghana is targeting an additional 700 megawatts of nuclear capacity as part of its efforts to diversify electricity generation. Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, which has previously been involved in discussions over Ghana’s nuclear ambitions, is among the five international companies shortlisted for the project.
The visit follows an earlier trip Ablakwa made to Kyiv in February, where he told Ukrainian officials that some 272 Ghanaians were believed to have been lured into the war since 2022, with 55 killed at the time. With the toll now at 62 dead and 15 unaccounted for, Accra says preventing further recruitment and tracing the missing remain its priority.
Felix Dappah
