South African police detained nine foreign men at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and a nearby hotel late Sunday night. The suspects, aged between 20 and 26, were reportedly preparing to board flights to Russia when officers intervened. Authorities say the arrests followed an investigation involving Interpol and local law enforcement.
While the men’s nationalities and intended plans in Russia remain undisclosed, they face charges under South Africa’s Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act. The law prohibits mercenary activity and regulates military assistance to parties in foreign conflicts, including recruitment and training of foreign nationals on South African soil.
These arrests come amid growing concerns that individuals from Africa, Asia and South America are being lured into Russia with promises of civilian employment, only to be forced into combat roles in the country’s war against Ukraine. Amnesty International last September described the practice as a form of human trafficking, noting that victims from countries such as South Africa, Brazil, Colombia and Sri Lanka have been duped into travelling to Russia for well‑paid civilian jobs before being conscripted into the Russian army.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha recently highlighted that more than 1,700 people from 36 African nations are known to be fighting for Russia, urging governments to warn their citizens against joining the conflict. South Africa has already secured the return of 11 men who had been lured into fighting for Russia, and Kenyan and Cameroonian nationals have been among those killed in the war.
Source: Al Jazeera
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