Nine Zimbabweans have been arrested in South Africa following a joint operation by local law enforcement and Interpol that intercepted them while trying to depart the country.
The individuals, aged between 20 and 96 years old, were detained on Sunday evening in and around Johannesburg. Five were apprehended at OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa's largest airport, and four at a hotel located east of Johannesburg.
Policing authorities stated they caught the group as they were 'preparing to board flights out of the country'. However, their intended destination or which side—Russia or Ukraine—they planned to fight for remains unclear.
They have been charged with contravening South Africa’s Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, which prohibits unauthorized mercenary activity abroad without government authorization.
The operation involved a multidisciplinary team that included Interpol personnel, suggesting potential violations of laws in Zimbabwe and possibly other African nations. Authorities indicated this prompted international cooperation between South African law enforcement and foreign agencies.
No information has been provided about whether the suspects intended to join Russian forces or Ukrainian resistance efforts, nor are there details on any organizations allegedly facilitating their travel.
A 2023 Ukrainian intelligence assessment estimated over 1,700 people from 36 countries across Africa had been recruited to fight for Russia during the war with Ukraine.
Kenya reported earlier this year that approximately 252 of its citizens were illegally conscripted into Russia’s military. In March, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi visited Moscow to discuss halting such recruitment and announced an agreement aimed at stopping it.
In March, Zimbabwe confirmed that 15 of its nationals had died after being lured by false job offers to join Russian forces in Ukraine, with more than 60 still reportedly trapped on battlefronts as of April 2024.
Last December, South African authorities arrested five individuals—including a journalist—for allegedly recruiting people to participate in the war effort abroad.
Ukraine has also been reported to recruit foreign fighters from Africa. Cases have emerged where Africans were deceived through promises of high-paying jobs before being sent into conflict zones.