Families in Cameroon have appealed to their government and Russia to secure the return of relatives allegedly lured into joining Russian forces in the war against Ukraine, amid growing concerns over recruitment networks targeting Africans.
The appeal was made on Wednesday during a peaceful march in Yaoundé organised by a group known as “Bring Back Our Sons and Brothers”.
The protesters marched to the Russian embassy, calling on Moscow and the Cameroonian authorities to help locate and repatriate their relatives, while dismantling what they described as clandestine recruitment networks operating in the country.
The families alleged that some Cameroonians were promised civilian employment in Russia but were subsequently deployed to the front line in Ukraine.
Their concerns are reinforced by a report from the All Eyes on Wagner collective, which estimates that at least 1,417 Africans have been recruited into the Russian army, with more than 300 reportedly killed.
For some families, the campaign is also a desperate search for information about relatives whose whereabouts have remained unknown for months.
One woman participating in the campaign said she had not heard from her husband in nine months and was demanding clarity about his fate and his safe return.
Organisers of the protest called for stronger cooperation between Cameroon and Russia to identify those involved in the alleged recruitment schemes, prevent further recruitment and facilitate the return of citizens already enlisted.
The campaign comes amid other efforts to secure the return of Africans who travelled to Russia and ended up fighting in Ukraine. In February, Russia facilitated the repatriation of 17 South Africans who had participated in the conflict.
The Cameroonian families say their immediate concern is to establish what happened to their loved ones and ensure that those still alive can return home.
