With the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, fast approaching, prominent civil society leaders in Malawi are urging African heads of state to issue a unified condemnation of deceptive recruitment practices and the exploitation of Africans in foreign proxy wars.
These calls follow a surge in reports regarding deceptive job recruitment by certain European nations–most notably Russia.
These schemes reportedly lure desperate young Africans, especially men and women, with promises of lucrative employment, only to forcibly recruit them into military service to fight in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
Michael Kaiyatsa, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), emphasized that African leaders must prioritize the protection of their citizens from being drafted into foreign conflicts.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
“This includes addressing the role of private military actors, labor brokers, and online recruitment networks that exploit poverty, unemployment, and misinformation. The summit should call for coordinated continental action: stronger regulation of recruitment agencies, cross-border intelligence sharing, victim protection mechanisms, and accountability for those facilitating human trafficking and forced participation in armed conflicts.” Kaiyatsa said.
He added firmly: “The AU must reaffirm that African lives are never to be treated as expendable resources in external wars.”
Beyond rhetoric
Kaiyatsa noted that CSOs expect the summit – scheduled for February 11-15 – to move beyond mere rhetoric and deliver concrete commitments regarding peace, security, and youth protection.
“At a minimum, African leaders should issue a united position condemning deceptive recruitment. The summit should reinforce the AU’s frameworks on human rights and labor migration while demonstrating moral leadership in defending Africa’s sovereignty,” he said.
Regarding the Malawian delegation, Kaiyatsa urged them to use the summit as a platform to highlight how unemployment and limited economic opportunities make young people easy targets for exploitation.
Government response
When asked about the Malawi government’s official stance on deceptive recruitment by Russia and other nations, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, George Chaponda, declined to provide a definitive statement.
“Call me when I am in Ethiopia to talk about the issue,” Chaponda said.
The Minister is previously on record stating that Malawi is reviewing its labour export agreements to ensure they provide robust legal protections.
This review covers existing agreements with Middle Eastern and Asian nations, as well as a potential deal with Russia.
“The government aims to establish clear bilateral labor agreements to protect workers and ensure they do not face difficulties while working abroad,” Chaponda previously stated, noting that the goal is to create safer conditions for Malawians seeking employment overseas.
High stakes
Citizens across the continent are anxiously awaiting the summit’s resolutions, particularly after the Russia-Africa Ministerial Conference last year failed to address the matter.
Although Chaponda previously indicated that Malawi and other nations intended to raise the issue of deceptive recruitment at that meeting, he later informed the public that it was not discussed because it was not on the formal agenda.
At the moment, the number of young girls recruited through the Alabuga Start Programme includes Uganda (46), Kenya (14), Nigeria (14), South Sudan (14), Rwanda (14), Sri Lanka (10), Zambia (4), Ethiopia (6), Ghana (2), Malawi (2), Mozambique (1), South Africa (6), Tanzania (4), and Zimbabwe (4).
About three years ago, Africa lost two young men–Lemekani Nyirenda of Zambia and Nemes Tarimo of Tanzania–who were studying in Russia but found themselves at the battlefront fighting in Ukraine to secure freedom after they were arrested and jailed for alleged criminal offences.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Nyirenda and Tarimo were promised freedom from their prison terms if they successfully fought the war in Ukraine on behalf of Russia following their recruitment from prison by the leader of the mercenary group Wagner, now called the Africa Corps.
A total of 249 mercenaries from 14 countries in Africa arrived in Ukraine since the war began two years ago, with 103 having been killed. Nigeria tops the list with 97, followed by Algeria with 60 and South Africa with 35.
Last month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that more than 1,400 people from 36 African nations are known to be fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine, urging governments to warn their citizens against joining a conflict where they are “quickly killed”.
Sybiha accused Moscow of enticing Africans into joining the war and signing military contracts that were “equivalent to … a death sentence”.