Cameroon has officially acknowledged for the first time that its citizens have been killed while fighting for Russia in the Ukraine conflict, following verification of a leaked diplomatic note.
Sixteen Cameroonians have died as "military contractors" in the war, according to a foreign ministry source who confirmed the authenticity of a leaked message sent to the Russian embassy. The note, dated March 5, marks the government's first recognition of its nationals' involvement in the conflict after facing criticism for prolonged silence on the issue.
"The leaked note - from Cameroon's foreign ministry to the Russian embassy - describes the 16 who had died as 'military contractors'."
While Cameroon has not issued an official public statement about the deaths, the foreign ministry sent a list of 16 names to state broadcaster CRTV on Monday, asking relatives to contact authorities about an "urgent matter" without providing further details.
This development comes amid growing concerns across Africa about citizens being recruited to fight for Russia. Ukrainian intelligence estimates that more than 1,700 individuals from 36 African nations have been recruited by Russia.
A report by All Eyes on Wagner, a group investigating mercenary activities worldwide, claims 94 Cameroonians have died in the war between 2023 and 2025.
Several African nations have taken action to address the recruitment of their citizens. Ghana has urged Russia to stop recruiting combatants, reporting at least 55 Ghanaian deaths in the conflict. Kenya has closed more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of deceiving citizens with false job offers, while Zimbabwe reports 15 nationals killed and over 60 trapped on front lines. South Africa recently repatriated 17 citizens who said they were deceived into fighting for Russia.
An internal memo from March 2025, seen by Reuters, shows Cameroon's defense minister expressing concern about soldiers leaving the country to fight in Ukraine and requesting officers to monitor their units.
Attempts to contact the Russian embassy about the leaked diplomatic note were unsuccessful.