Russia-Africa Summit: African Leaders Silent on Alleged Trafficking of Citizens

The third Russia-Africa Summit, held October 28 to 29 in Moscow, drew delegates from 48 African countries, including 22 heads of state, underscoring Moscow’s push to deepen political, security, and economic collaboration with the continent. But beyond this, a key question remains: can Russia convert its growing influence in Africa into tangible gains amid the ongoing war in Ukraine?  

Amnesty International urged African leaders to use the summit to confront Russia over alleged practices that the human rights body said exploit African nationals and, in some cases, amount to human trafficking.  

Amnesty International had warned that failing to raise the issue would betray the interests of the continent’s citizens and called on African governments to demand immediate action from the Russian government to end the practices, which it said constitute crimes under international law.  

Amnesty International said that as many African governments speak out about the enduring legacy of colonialism and the importance of sovereignty and African agency in international affairs, they must reject any practice that treats nationals of African countries as commodities for other countries’ political and military objectives.  

Russia has quietly been recruiting thousands of young African men from almost every nation in sub-Saharan Africa to the front lines and factories supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. These were not the destinations these young men expected when they signed up. Many were seeking jobs, training, or opportunities abroad. Instead, they found themselves trapped in a war far from home.   

Early this year, a detailed government intelligence report revealed that a network of rogue officials, allegedly colluding with human trafficking syndicates, had recruited 1,000 Kenyans to fight for Russia.  

In November last year, Ukraine’s foreign minister said that more than 1,400 people from 36 African countries had been recruited to fight for Russia. Ukraine had also previously been criticised for trying to recruit foreign nationals, including Africans, to fight on its side.   

Ukrainian officials estimate that nearly 30,000 foreign nationals are currently fighting for Russia, with the full extent of these deceptive recruitment networks still unknown. African governments and families of victims are demanding more expansive investigations, an immediate end to these schemes, and accountability for those responsible.   

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has admitted that Kenya does not know how many of its citizens were recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine, but says the African Union (AU) should take up the matter.  

In Kenya and other African countries, recruiters are said to have operated through various recruitment agencies and trafficking syndicates, advertising jobs such as drivers, guards, electricians, plumbers, and salespeople, as well as purported sports opportunities, with salaries far above local norms.  

Some recruits were lured through WhatsApp groups, where other Africans, acting under duress, reassured them they were heading for exciting, well-paid jobs. Once in Russia, they were shown contracts in Cyrillic, threatened if they refused to sign, and, in some cases, pressured to send positive messages home or to recruit friends and relatives into the same pipeline.  

After being forced to sign contracts, job seekers were reportedly detained by authorities, who withheld their passports, effectively preventing them from returning home. Here in Kenya, the deception was especially brazen. Criminal syndicates allegedly posed as government-endorsed recruiters, charged job seekers for overseas placements, then secretly redirected them to Russia’s war zone.     

The recruitment of Africans escalated in 2024, part of a broader underground effort to bolster Russia’s war effort by building a pipeline of foreign fighters. It is alleged that some recruitment was occurring through less visible channels, such as informal networks and private military units, which have reportedly conscripted Africans directly from police custody in Russia and the Central African Republic.