The Young South African Men in Ukraine
(The Post News) – Seventeen young men are currently trapped in the war-torn Donbas Ukraine region. The South African Government says it had received a call of distress from the group of men.
One of the men in the group is from Eastern Cape, where as the rest are all from KwaZulu-Natal.
The Government established that men between the ages of 20 and 39 were deceived into joining the mercenary forces affiliated with Ukraine-Russia war, under pretext of legible employment contracts.
It is declared an illegality for local entities and South Africans to offer military assistance to foreign countries and governments, or to participate in armies of foreign governments, unless if decided otherwise by the South African Government.
Vincent Magwenya who is the Presidency spokesperson said that President Cyril Ramphosa has ordered an investigation into the circumstances leading to the recruitment of young men following their mercenary and that the South African government is working through diplomatic channels in securing a safe return of these young men following their calls to return home. In addition, Magwenya said: “The President, alongside the South African Government strongly condemn the exploitation of the young and vulnerable working with foreign military entities.”
The statement released did not give any specifications pertaining the side the men had joined.
The Young Recruited Males Were Allegedly on “Russia’s Side”
The South African Government also did not respond to POLITICO’S request for commentary promptly, however, using an anonymous profile, a Ukrainian intelligence official took the liberty to discuss this delicate matter candidly.
The official claimed that it was evident that the recruited young men were indeed fighting for Russia.
“It is clear that those citizens were not fighting for Ukraine, but rather Russia. Otherwise, South Africa would have publicly disclosed that.”
“We are not luring anyone into the army/military. There has never been a scandal of such nature, however their BRICS friends do.”
More About BRIC’s Origin
BRICS has succeeded in maintaining close ties with Moscow irrespective of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine.
The bloc made an expansion in the previous year with the purpose of including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Ethiopia and Egypt, resulting in its position as a counterweight to the G7.
Russia has recently sharpened recruitment in the African continent and the Middle East, as both Kyiv and Moscow are struggling with heavy manpower shortages and losses.
According to the open-source intelligence group Insight, Russian recruiters typically target economically vulnerable countries.
They offer these countries large sums of capital which in some instances are equivalent to a decade of local wages. They make promises of nonbelligerent roles like drivers or cooks which in many cases turn out bogus.
South African Law Against Foreign Military Assistance
The Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, 1998 (FMAA), is an act implemented by the South African Parliament which enforces prohibition in mercenary activities both within South Africa and abroad.
It further prohibits South African Citizens from offering unauthorized foreign military assistance.
The FMAA was assented on the 20th May 1998 and placed in force on 18th September 1998.
The act reads as follows:
“Act to regulate the rendering of foreign military assistance by South Africa juristic persons, citizens, persons permanently resident within the Republic and foreign citizens rendering such assistance from within the borders of the Republic; and to provide for matters connected therewith.”
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