NAIROBI, Kenya – Amnesty International has urged African leaders attending the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow to confront Russian authorities over the alleged deceptive and coercive recruitment of African nationals into the Russian military to fight in Ukraine.
In an open letter issued on October 27, directors of Amnesty International’s sections across Africa called on participating governments to demand an immediate end to recruitment practices that, in many cases, amount to human trafficking under international law.
The appeal places the protection of African citizens at the centre of discussions at the summit, held from October 28 to 29, 2026, in Moscow.
The rights organisation warned that silence from African governments would undermine their responsibility to protect their citizens, particularly as many countries across the continent continue to advocate for greater sovereignty and independence in international affairs.
“For African leaders to remain silent on this issue would be a profound disservice to the people of their countries,” the directors said in the letter.
They urged African governments to raise the issue directly with Russian authorities and demand investigations and prosecutions in cases involving trafficking by state officials or individuals operating with the acquiescence of Russian authorities.
Amnesty Alleges Africans Are Lured With False Job Offers
The appeal follows a briefing published by Amnesty International on September 10, which documented allegations that foreign nationals, including people from African countries, had been recruited into Russia’s armed forces through deception, coercion and exploitation of economic hardship.
According to the report, some recruits were promised civilian employment in sectors such as security, logistics, construction and information technology, alongside attractive salaries or opportunities to obtain Russian citizenship.
Instead, some reportedly found themselves enlisted in the military and deployed to fight in Ukraine, often with limited preparation and little ability to leave.
Amnesty said recruiters had exploited the vulnerabilities of people seeking work abroad, including migrants and refugees already living in Russia.
The organisation’s research was based on interviews with individuals from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Somalia and South Africa who were held in Ukrainian prisoner-of-war camps between 2024 and 2026. It also drew on conversations with foreign nationals serving with Russian forces, their relatives, lawyers, human rights activists and journalists.
Amnesty concluded that the reported methods of recruitment amounted to human trafficking in many cases, while calling for accountability for those responsible.
African Leaders Told to Defend Citizens’ Rights
Amnesty’s African section directors argued that governments should reject practices that treat their nationals as instruments of another country’s military and political objectives.
The organisation said African leaders should demand that Russia end abusive recruitment, investigate suspected trafficking networks and prosecute those found responsible, including state officials and other individuals implicated in the practices.
The appeal also raises broader questions about the protection of citizens seeking employment overseas and the responsibility of governments to ensure that migration opportunities do not become pathways into exploitation.
Amnesty called for recruitment involving coercion, deception and the exploitation of vulnerable circumstances to end, alongside measures to ensure that foreign nationals are not threatened or punished for seeking to leave military service.
Kenya Among Countries Facing Concerns Over Recruitment
The issue has particular relevance to Kenya, where families of men allegedly recruited to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine have sought answers about the whereabouts and safety of their relatives.
The recruitment concerns have prompted calls for stronger public warnings about suspicious overseas job offers and greater scrutiny of intermediaries promising lucrative employment abroad.
Amnesty’s September briefing also urged countries whose nationals are affected or at risk to take protective measures, including issuing clear guidance on deceptive recruitment schemes linked to jobs in Russia or third countries.
The organisation said accountability should extend beyond individual recruiters to any officials or military commanders found to have participated in, enabled or tolerated trafficking.
Summit Puts Pressure on Russia-Africa Relations
The Russia-Africa Summit provides African leaders with an opportunity to raise the issue directly with Moscow as they discuss relations between the continent and Russia.
Amnesty’s intervention challenges participating governments to connect their calls for sovereignty and African agency with concrete action to protect citizens from exploitation overseas.
The organisation wants the recruitment practices stopped and suspected trafficking cases investigated, with those responsible facing prosecution where evidence establishes criminal conduct.
The allegations outlined by Amnesty remain the organisation’s documented findings and claims; individual criminal responsibility must be established through appropriate investigations and legal proceedings.
