Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that 62 Ghanaian nationals have died while participating in the Russia-Ukraine war, with two others currently being held as prisoners of war (POWs) and 15 reported missing.
Appearing on Newsfile on JoyNews to provide an account of government expenditures and the state of Ghanaian citizens abroad, the Minister shared updated statistics regarding the casualties and status of Ghanaians lured into the conflict zone.
According to figures presented by the Foreign Ministry during the broadcast, approximately 272 Ghanaians have been fraudulently recruited into the conflict since 2022.
Many were enticed by human-trafficking syndicates promising legitimate employment opportunities abroad, only to end up on the frontlines.
Ablakwa emphasized that the government is actively collaborating with domestic security agencies to investigate and dismantle these illicit recruitment networks operating within Ghana.
“We are pursuing diplomatic engagement to establish their welfare and investigating recruitment networks with domestic security agencies,” the Ministry’s update noted on screen.
Addressing the situation of the two captured Ghanaian POWs, Ablakwa noted that high-level diplomatic efforts remain underway to secure their release and ensure their fair treatment.
During the program, the Foreign Affairs Minister also accounted for government expenditure regarding recent evacuation exercises for Ghanaians stranded in South Africa, disclosing a total spend of GHS 49.72 million. Clarifying the disbursement of stipends during the evacuation, Ablakwa noted that children received the exact same allowance allocated to adults to ensure full welfare coverage for affected families.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana