(Photo by Houses of Oireachats via Flickr/CC BY 2.0)
Between 2014 and 2023, the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, played a range of roles in West Africa. They provided military support and filled the void left by the prior withdrawal of Western troops from the region. This organization and the deployment of Russian soldiers on the soil of various Sub-Saharan African countries like Mali, Niger, and Chad, among others have received significant media attention.
Much less attention has been paid in mainstream media to the forced deployment of men from various African countries to the frontline in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has received much less attention. While some foreign fighters in the war are volunteers for Russia and Ukraine, there is a persistent number of fighters on the Russian side who are now forced to fight in an unjust war for questionable reasons.
At the same time, there is a notable number of women, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, who have found themselves supporting Russia’s war effort through forced work in the country’s war factories. Having initially been told that they’d be attending school and working elsewhere, many of these women and girls have been duped and find themselves working in drone factories putting together weapons. Crucially, while Ukraine has also recently begun recruiting prisoners to supplement its dwindling armed forces, there are no mentions of foreign prisoners making up the numbers in the country’s army.
Another Man’s War
Since the beginning of its Ukrainian invasion, Russia has suffered substantial losses. The latest reports estimate that more than 1 million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded. Facing such heavy casualties, the Russian government has increasingly relied on prisoners and workers already inside the country to forcefully supplement its military ranks.
In connection with this, foreign workers from the Global South have reportedly replaced Russian workers in weapons production and related industries who have been conscripted. As an example, according to The Independent, women from Nigeria and South Sudan are being recruited to put together some of the weapons Russia fires into Ukraine.
Part of the group of prisoners that Russian authorities recruited includes students from various sub-Saharan African countries who were studying in Russia but are now part of Russia’s army, primarily because they were convicted of various crimes and Russian authorities offered them the option of serving in the Russian forces instead of serving out the full term of their convictions.
An example of such an individual is Nemes Tarimo, a Tanzanian who was studying at the Russian Technological University in a postgraduate IT program. Tarimo was caught selling illegal drugs in Moscow after falling on hard times and was reportedly personally recruited by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, himself. There are also reports that the authorities threatened many of these individuals with non-renewal of their student visas, along with possible deportation.
An Offer You Can’t Refuse
According to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, officials like Mr. Prigozhin recruited nearly 200,000 Russian convicts to fight in the country’s invasion of Ukraine. This recruitment began with the Wagner Group and has since continued with the Russian Ministry of Defence after the group’s absorption into the Russian Armed Forces. About half of this number have reportedly been injured or killed over the course of the war.
Reports from the media highlight that under the Wagner model, a 6-month service with the group on the warfront in Ukraine would’ve granted prisoners like Tarimo a pardon for their initial crimes. As such, minimal service in the Russian Army, paired with immediate freedom after, would’ve seemed very attractive, especially for Tarimo, who had written to his family members that he hoped to be back in Tanzania by January 2023 – having initially joined Wagner in August 2022.
The prospect of freedom after temporarily joining the Russian Army presents an intriguing choice for these men, highlighting why they ultimately made the decisions they did. In fact, Tarimo had initially been given a 7-year sentence as a result of his criminal offence and conviction and would’ve been encouraged by the possible pardon.
Nonetheless, there is a question of whether it was ultimately worth it. Even with the limited amount of service required at the time, of the three men profiled by Reuters, only 1, Komenan Aboya, completed the required period of service alive. This is especially relevant when one considers that, as highlighted earlier, about half of this particular group of soldiers in the war have been killed/wounded.
All that Glitters
The British Broadcasting Corporation recently revealed that the Russian government has stopped offering full pardons to conscripted prisoners and requires them to fight for the duration of the war, with no end date in sight. This is in addition to the threat of death sentences for any of the new soldiers who try to abscond. At the same time, many of the women involved in the drone building scheme have reported being unable to leave and go back to their respective countries due to their employers reportedly holding back their passports, among other stumbling blocks.
The inability to leave these situations is just one of many similarities that the people in these two situations share. These two groups of people also left their respective countries and homes in search of greener pastures, only to encounter unexpected restrictions and coercion by host country authorities.
Another similarity includes the use of deception in both scenarios. For the drone factory workers, they were initially told they would be working in hospitals, as caterers, or even attending school, but instead found themselves building drones. At the same time, some prisoners-turned-soldiers have also asserted that they are not guilty of the crime for which they were initially convicted and are victims of institutional persecution.
Regardless of the differences, people from the Global South, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, are being lured under false pretences to participate in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, whether as a builder of drones or as a soldier on the frontlines. This practice raises serious concerns about compliance with international norms and human rights protections, and warrants close scrutiny and coordinated response from the international community.
Take Me Home, Country Roads
In light of the recruitment of foreign prisoners, governments around the world, particularly those with citizens stuck in Russia, are urged to issue strong diplomatic statements against the (forced) involvement of their citizens in Russia’s war. While some countries have spoken out against the recruitment of their citizens for this war, there is not yet widespread criticism of this recruitment scheme.
Beyond individual countries, the international community must also come together to condemn Russia’s actions. Although international law is unclear regarding the use of foreign prisoners in a country’s war, various countries have laws forbidding their citizens from fighting for another country. Additionally, international law must catch up to the recruitment of international students and plug the gaps that Russia is currently exploiting.
Moving past strongly worded statements, the imposition of sanctions on the Russian state/government and powerful individuals in its administration is another logical step that governments around the world can take. So far, vastly targeted sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion have had a severe effect on the country’s economy but more targeted sanctions on the individuals involved in the active recruitment of foreigners in the Russian penal system could have a bigger impact on putting an end to this practice.
Currently, South Africa is investigating certain companies that advertise fraudulent job placements in Russia. Other affected countries must follow suit and ensure the highest standards for foreign job and education postings within their own countries.
Beyond this, they also bear responsibility for ensuring optimal socioeconomic conditions within their country. Many of their citizens who fall for these schemes do so out of desperation and a wish to escape their poor situations. As such, schemes to improve the material conditions of their citizens and follow the rule of law must be implemented in every one of these countries.
Edited by Atena Abbaspourbenis
