While we do not intend to scare our compatriots especially families whose members have left home and their whereabouts unknown the question is appropriate.
A Ghanaian is being held by Ukrainian authorities after his capture while fighting as a mercenary in the ranks of Russian forces in the ongoing hostilities between the two countries.
Frantic diplomatic efforts are ongoing to ensure the release of the prisoner-of-war by Ukrainian who have acknowledged the capture of the Ghanaian mercenary.
Until the capture of the said Ghanaian little did we know that our compatriots can be so daring as to respond to luring advertisements to join the ranks of Russian forces in the ongoing war.
Well there we are with the undeniable facts that some of our compatriots could be fighting for Russia which has had to rely on willing persons from all over the world to shore up their dwindling numbers on the fronts. Reports indicate that there are more Ghanaians fighting on the Russian side after luring them into the socialist country for well-paid security jobs.
Social media is playing a major and crucial role in the efforts of Russia to lure young men some with little or no military background to join the war campaign using complex trickeries.
For such men the money is too enticing to be ignored and regardless of the perilousness in the war they are all for it. As noted earlier some are deceived into believing that they were going to be engaged in other assignments unrelated to the ongoing war.
Even as the Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa is busy engaged in a diplomatic exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart to ensure the release of the captive it is our position that the National Security apparatus and related security agencies mount vigilance at our ports of exit to ensure that our youth do not follow this dangerous dream.
Given the demand for more young men to fight in the Russian war the related authorities must ramp up efforts to identify possible ruses being flown by agents on behalf of the factions and to take decisive actions to counter them.
We demand also that the Foreign Affairs Minister seeks details of other Ghanaians possibly on both sides, captured as prisoners-of-war and others on active missions… although the response to the latter might not be forthcoming.
Lessons from South Africa could help us manage this mercenary recruitment trap because the country is currently engaged in efforts to have 17 of their nationals also being held as prisoners-of-war, released.
The 17 were said to have been lured into believing that they were going to be used for purposes other than fighting on the frontlines as mercenaries.
The efforts of the Foreign Affairs Ministry should be given maximum publicity because this would open the eyes of the youth to the trickeries been used to lure the vulnerable to join the mercenary ranks.
Our minister should extract information from the captive as to how he got recruited and whether or not there are other Ghanaians in there fighting for Russia or Ukraine.
