At least sixty-two (62) Ghanaian citizens have been killed while another 15 remain missing after travelling to Russia amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Tuesday.
In a post Ablakwa made after bilateral talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, gave an update of total number of Ghanaians who had been impacted negatively as a result of the war.
“Unfortunately, the number of Ghanaian deaths in Russia has gone up. 62 Ghanaians have now died, and 15 who travelled to Russia remain missing,” posted the FM.
The Minister said a key issue raised during his discussions with Mr Lavrov was the need to stop the alleged illegal recruitment of Ghanaian citizens who are lured to Russia and subsequently enlisted to participate in military operations.
He said Ghana was particularly concerned about the recruitment of young people who are promised employment opportunities but eventually find themselves involved in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“During our press conference in Moscow with Foreign Minister Lavrov after our bilateral engagement, I disclosed that an important matter to Ghana was how to stop the illegal recruitment of Ghanaian youth who are lured and end up fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war,” said Ablakwa.
According to the Minister, the Russian government has pledged to work with Ghana to prevent the illegal enlistment of Ghanaian citizens into military operations.
“I welcome the pledge of the Russian Government to work with the Government of Ghana to stop the illegal enlistment of our youth,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa said the Ghanaian government would continue engaging Russian authorities and advocating for measures to protect Ghanaian citizens from being recruited into the conflict.
“The Government of Ghana will continue to lead advocacy on this matter and ensure that our youth are protected from harm’s way. This is not our war, and it should not be claiming Ghanaian lives,” he added.
The disclosure comes amid concerns over reports of Ghanaian nationals being recruited to Russia under the guise of employment before being deployed to participate in the war against Ukraine. Enditem
