A significant individual involved in a scheme that allegedly dispatched over 1,000 Kenyans to fight for the Russian military has been formally charged with human trafficking, according to the state prosecutor.
Festus Omwamba, a 33-year-old founder of the recruitment firm Global Face Human Resources, is accused of facilitating the recruitment of Kenyans to Russia. He appeared in court following his arrest in Moyale, a border town adjacent to Ethiopia.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) stated on X that Omwamba is under investigation for allegedly ‘recruiting twenty-two Kenyan youths to Russia for exploitation under deceptive means.’
Per the prosecutor’s office, a police operation conducted last September resulted in the rescue of 22 victims of human trafficking, while three others returned home injured after finding themselves on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Kenyan MP Kimani Ichung’wah informed parliament last week that more than 1,000 Kenyans have reportedly joined the Russian army in recent months, drawing insights from a combined report from intelligence agencies and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Numerous media outlets, including AFP, have highlighted the coerced conscription of numerous Africans.
Many individuals were lured with promises of lucrative civilian employment in Russia, only to be forced to enter military contracts and sent to the frontline with insufficient training, where numerous lives were lost.
Recently, AFP interviewed four Kenyans who managed to return home, three of whom were injured. One individual believed he was going to work as a salesman, two others thought they would serve as security personnel, and the fourth was a professional athlete.
All four were recruited through Global Face Human Resources and have accused Omwamba of deception, alongside one of his staffs, Edward Gituku, who is also facing human trafficking charges.
In response to these claims, the Russian embassy in Kenya dismissed the allegations last week, describing them as part of a ‘dangerous and misleading propaganda campaign.’
‘Two South Africans Killed in Russia Conflict’
In related news, several South African nationals remain in Russia, with at least two reported fatalities while fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola stated on Thursday. This follows the repatriation of 15 men who were reported to have been duped into joining mercenary groups.
Eleven men returned to South Africa on Wednesday, part of a group of 17 that requested government assistance after being stranded for months in the conflict-ridden Donbas region of Ukraine. Four others arrived home the previous week, while two remain in Russia receiving treatment for severe injuries.
Lamola remarked, “We have discovered that other South Africans were implicated in this situation, and we learned that some have also perished in the conflict.”
The government was alerted by the Russian embassy about the deaths of the two men, who were part of an alternative recruitment initiative.
The minister refrained from providing a specific number of South Africans still involved in the conflicts.
The initial group of 17 men was reportedly sent to Russia for training as security guards by the opposition party Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), led by former president Jacob Zuma, who served from 2009 to 2018.
Following allegations of involvement in recruiting these men, one of Zuma’s daughters, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has resigned from her parliamentary role.
South African laws forbid citizens from engaging in foreign military service without explicit government authorization.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials reported identifying over 1,780 individuals from 36 African nations among Russian forces, with some having been captured.
Numerous Nigerians Enlisted in Russia
Reports indicate that a significant number of Nigerians are being misled into migrating to Russia and subsequently fighting in Ukraine.
The Federal Government of Nigeria recently issued a warning against the unauthorized enlistment of its citizens into foreign military conflicts.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, expressed serious concern regarding the escalating instances of illegal recruitment of Nigerian nationals for participation in foreign military conflicts.
According to him, recent investigations and security reports reveal that Nigerians have been recruited under false pretenses, including offers of lucrative employment, security positions, educational prospects, or migration benefits.
Recent reports indicate that at least four Nigerians allegedly recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine lost their lives on the battlefield.
The Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, Andrey Podyelyshev, has denied claims of Nigerian conscription for combat in Ukraine. However, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, asserted that Russia is actively recruiting Nigerians and other Africans to reinforce its military efforts in Ukraine.
Mignot made this assertion during a broadcast on Channels Television’s programme, The Morning Brief, as the conflict marked its fourth anniversary. He stated, “Another concerning trend impacting Africa is Russia's recruitment of African males and females. Women are sent to work in military facilities in Russia, while men are deployed to the front lines. They are often enticed with job offers.”
He accused Russia of seeking personnel from Africa due to ongoing military challenges and a dwindling pool of soldiers.
“Russia is experiencing a shortage of soldiers and is therefore intensifying recruitment efforts, including among Nigerians, in a very crude manner by sending these individuals to die on the front lines with no connection to the conflict,” he added.
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