The Ukraine War Draws Africans… Gambia Warns Citizens of a Tragic Fate

As reports continue to surface across several African countries about men being sent to fight in Ukraine, Gambia on Friday expressed its “deep concern” regarding its citizens traveling abroad “with the intention of being recruited and participating in armed conflicts.”

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Information, the Gambian government said it had “learned with profound concern that some Gambian citizens are traveling overseas with the aim of being recruited and taking part in ongoing armed conflicts.”

The ministry indicated that it has received information suggesting that a number of Gambian nationals “have tragically lost their lives in these conflicts.”

The statement added: “The government wishes to emphasize that it neither supports nor permits any Gambian citizen to engage in external conflicts. Individuals who choose to travel to conflict zones and participate in fighting do so at their own personal risk.”

Several media investigations, including one published earlier this month by Agence France-Presse, have detailed how men from African countries have taken part in the war in Ukraine. However, the Gambian ministry’s statement provided no further specifics and did not explicitly mention the Ukrainian conflict.

Several African states, including Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, have recently voiced concern over the fate of their nationals recruited by Moscow.

In November, Kyiv announced that it had identified at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries fighting alongside Russian forces.