HARARE
–
Fifteen
Zimbabweans
have
died
while
fighting
on
the
Russian
side
in
the
Russia-Ukraine
war,
a
minister
said
on
Wednesday,
marking
the
first
official
acknowledgment
of
the
scale
of
local
involvement.
Information
minister
Zhemu
Soda
told
a
news
conference
in
Harare
that
66
other
Zimbabweans
recruited
into
the
conflict
are
still
alive,
with
authorities
working
to
bring
them
back
home.
He
added
that
government
is
also
engaged
in
efforts
to
repatriate
the
remains
of
those
killed.
“The
president
has
directed
this
government
to
act
with
urgency
and
resolve
this
issue.
We
are
seized
with
this
on
several
critical
fronts.
First,
regarding
the
deceased,
the
government
is
actively
engaged
in
the
complex
diplomatic
and
logistical
efforts
required
to
repatriate
remains
of
the
deceased,”
Soda
said.
“On
law
enforcement,
the
security
cluster
has
been
instructed
to
intensify
efforts
to
identify,
track,
and
dismantle
the
criminal
networks
behind
this
trafficking
syndicate.
Those
who
are
trading
in
the
lives
of
our
citizens
for
profit
will
face
the
full
wrath
of
the
law,”
he
added.
Recent
reports
have
exposed
the
growing
recruitment
of
Africans
into
Russian
forces,
often
through
third-party
agents
promising
lucrative
civilian
jobs.
The
revelations
have
sparked
concern
in
countries
such
as
Kenya,
Ghana
and
South
Africa.According
to
Ukraine,
more
than
1,700
Africans
are
fighting
for
Russia,
although
analysts
believe
the
true
figure
could
be
higher.
Kenyan
intelligence
estimates
suggest
over
1,000
of
its
nationals
have
been
recruited.
In
February,
Ghana
said
more
than
50
of
its
citizens
had
been
killed
after
being
lured
into
the
conflict,
with
foreign
minister
Samuel
Okudzeto
Ablakwa
warning
the
actual
toll
could
be
greater.
African
governments
have
largely
taken
a
cautious
diplomatic
stance
on
the
war,
wary
of
straining
ties
with
Russia.
South
Africa,
for
instance,
has
stopped
short
of
directly
blaming
Moscow,
instead
pointing
to
unscrupulous
recruitment
agents.
Analyst
Pier
Pigou
said
the
issue
is
unlikely
to
significantly
damage
relations
between
Russia
and
African
nations
unless
it
triggers
widespread
political
backlash.
“For
the
vast
majority
of
people
it’s
a
case
of
‘these
dudes
are
just
trying
to
earn
a
living…
and
because
their
countries
don’t
provide
that
for
them,
they’re
going
to
take
opportunities
that
arise,’”
he
said.
Meanwhile,
Soda
said
Zimbabwe
is
negotiating
bilateral
labour
agreements
with
countries
including
Qatar,
Saudi
Arabia,
Poland
and
Belarus
to
ensure
safer
and
regulated
employment
opportunities
abroad.
“We
are
strengthening
bilateral
labour
agreements
with
other
countries
to
ensure
that
Zimbabwean
workers
are
employed
under
safe,
fair,
and
legally
binding
conditions.
Examples
include
bilateral
agreements
on
the
exchange
of
teachers
between
Zimbabwe
and
Rwanda,”
he
said.