South African police seize nine men trying to fly to war zone
Authorities say the group, aged 20 to 26, violated local laws against unauthorized mercenary activity before boarding flights from Johannesburg.
By Diego Mendoza ·
Police in South Africa detained nine foreign nationals on Sunday evening as they prepared to leave the country. Officers said the men intended to fight in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The arrests occurred in and around Johannesburg.
The suspects, who are between 20 and 26 years old, were caught by a multidisciplinary team. The operation took place at OR Tambo International Airport and a hotel in Bruma, a suburb east of Johannesburg. Interpol participated in the raid.
South African authorities charged the group with violating laws that ban mercenary activity without government approval. Officials noted that international cooperation was necessary because the suspects had allegedly broken laws in their home countries as well. No details were released about which organizations arranged the travel.
Police did not identify the nationalities of the nine men. They confirmed that none of the detainees lived in South Africa. Authorities also declined to state whether the group planned to fight for Russia or Ukraine. The final destination of their flights remains unclear.
This incident follows a pattern of recruitment across the African continent. A Ukrainian intelligence report from earlier this year estimated that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries joined the Russian military. Kenya previously estimated that 252 of its citizens were illegally conscripted in Russia. Ghana reported that 55 of its citizens died in the conflict, while 272 others were lured to fight since the war began in 2022.
South Africa has also seen a rise in these cases. In February, the country secured the return of 17 nationals who were tricked into joining the war. In December of last year, local authorities arrested five people, including a journalist, for recruiting fighters. Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi visited Moscow in March to negotiate an agreement to stop the recruitment of Kenyan nationals.
The nine suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Monday or Tuesday.
