At least 55 people from Ghana have died while fighting in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said during his visit to Kyiv. Two other Ghanaians are currently being held as prisoners of war.
Ukrainian authorities report that the conflict has drawn around 272 Ghanaians since 2022. Ablakwa described the situation as “depressing and frightening,” adding that Ghana cannot ignore such heartbreaking losses. He did not specify whether the Ghanaians were fighting for Russia or Ukraine.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, said that more than 1,700 Africans from 36 countries have been recruited to fight for Russia. Ghana’s reported death toll is the highest number officially confirmed from any African country.
In Cameroon, local media claim that 94 citizens have died in the war, though the government has not commented. South Africa has confirmed the deaths of two of its nationals, while 15 others have recently returned home. At least one Kenyan has also died in the conflict.
Ablakwa reminded people that behind every statistic is a person – someone’s child, sibling, or parent. He stated that the Ghanaian government is currently concentrating on halting illicit recruitment via online and dark web networks. The government plans to launch public awareness campaigns so young people will not fall for false promises.
“This is not our war,” Ablakwa said firmly. “We cannot allow our youth to become human shields for others.” In Kenya, authorities recently charged a man named Festus Arasa Omwamba for allegedly tricking young men into travelling to Russia with the promise of well-paying jobs. Instead, they were sent to fight in Ukraine. Omwamba denied the accusations.
A report from Kenya’s National Intelligence Service said around 1,000 Kenyans have joined Russia’s army during the four-year war. The Russian embassy in Kenya denied having any part in recruitment but said that Russian law allows foreign nationals living legally in the country to volunteer for military service.
During his visit, Ablakwa asked Volodymyr Zelensky to release the two Ghanaians captured while fighting for Russia. He said they had been victims of manipulation and false information spread by criminal groups. Ablakwa thanked Ukrainian officials for respecting international law and said reports showed the men were in good health and had not been mistreated. One of them, 35-year-old Joshua Nkrumah, was captured in September 2024 after surviving a drone attack.
Two months earlier, Joshua had left his pregnant wife in Dubai to travel to Russia on the promise of working in private security. His family has not heard from him since. His father, Albert, said he lives in constant fear and sadness, wondering if his son is still alive.“I just want my son home and alive,” he said quietly. “That is all a father asks.”Ukrainian and Ghanaian officials discussed possible ways to return the two prisoners. Ukraine continues to warn that any foreigner fighting for Russia will be treated as an enemy combatant. The only safe way out, they said, is to surrender and become a prisoner of war.
