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Cameroon Reveals Death of 16 Citizens Fighting for Russia in Ukraine
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Cameroon has confirmed that 16 of its citizens have died while fighting on Russia’s side in the war in Ukraine, marking the first official acknowledgment by the Central African country of its nationals’ involvement in the war.
This was reported by Reuters on April 7.
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In a statement broadcast on state media on April 6 evening, Cameroon’s foreign ministry said Russian authorities had confirmed the deaths and called on the families of the deceased to contact officials in the capital, Yaoundé.
A diplomatic note dated the same day and seen by Reuters described the individuals as “military contractors of Cameroonian nationality” operating in a “special military operation zone,” a term used by Russia to refer to its war against Ukraine.
The statement did not provide details on how the men were recruited or deployed, nor did it specify the circumstances, timing, or location of their deaths.
The confirmation also comes amid growing scrutiny over the treatment of foreign fighters within Russian ranks.
In a separate development, Anton Gerashchenko, a former deputy interior minister of Ukraine, shared a video on his X account that he said shows a Russian soldier humiliating an African fighter. The footage appears to show a serviceman attaching an anti-tank mine to the individual in what is presented as a form of punishment or intimidation.
According to him, the fighter was subsequently sent toward an assault or assigned to unspecified “special tasks,” with a warning that Ukrainian forces would engage any such combatants.
The incident reflects broader concerns raised by human rights observers about the treatment of personnel within Russian forces. Researchers have previously documented the persistence of “dedovshchina,” a system of hazing in which junior or vulnerable servicemen are subjected to abuse, coercion, and degrading treatment by more senior soldiers.
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The issue of foreign nationals fighting for Russia has also drawn responses from other African countries. Recently, Kenya and Russia have agreed that Kenyan citizens will no longer be allowed to enlist in the Russian military for the war in Ukraine, following reports that significant numbers of Kenyans had been recruited.
The decision was announced after Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
Mudavadi said the discussions addressed the situation of Kenyan nationals in Russia, including those involved in the war.
“And I want to make it clear that we have now agreed that Kenyans shall not be enlisted through the (Russian) Ministry of Defense—they will no longer be eligible to be enlisted,” Mudavadi said at a joint press briefing with Lavrov. “There will no further enlisting.”
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