Cameroon: 16 Cameroonians Killed Fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Cameroon said on Tuesday that Russian authorities confirmed the deaths of 16 Cameroonians operating as “military contractors” in what Moscow calls a “special military operation zone.”

The foreign ministry urged families to contact officials in Yaounde but provided no details on timing, locations, or circumstances. The ministry also released the list of 16 recruits along with other information.

An internal defense memo from March 2025 had already warned that soldiers were leaving Cameroon to join the war, instructing commanders to monitor units more closely. The government reiterated it does not deploy troops abroad outside international mandates.

Ukraine said in February that more than 1,700 Africans were fighting for Russia, while in November 2025 Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha put the figure at over 1,400 fighters from 36 African countries, many now prisoners of war.

Russia denies illegal recruitment, but multiple cases point to diverse pathways. In January, Bloomberg reported that two South African men in their 20s were recruited via Discord while playing Arma 3, traveling to Russia in mid-2024 to sign one-year contracts near St. Petersburg. One was killed in Luhansk in October 2024, while the other remains missing.

Cameroon’s latest statement marks its first public acknowledgment of nationals involved in the war, signaling growing concern over uncontrolled fighter flows and domestic security implications.

African governments have begun responding. In March, Kenya said Russia agreed to halt recruitment of its citizens after more than 1,000 Kenyans were enlisted, according to Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi.

Governments in Uganda have also said employment agencies exploit youth unemployment and overseas work programs.

Moscow has previously denied involvement, while African authorities pursue repatriation efforts and warn citizens against deceptive foreign job offers.