The Malick Diop affair, this young Senegalese captured by the Ukrainian army while he was fighting for Russia, highlighted a hitherto unknown phenomenon: the growing involvement of Senegalese nationals in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Behind this case that has become emblematic, a much wider reality is emerging, marked by massive recruitments, often operated in the shadows. According to Source A, several Senegalese, students or migrants, are recruited by the Russian army, sometimes without their knowledge, often under pressure from precarious living conditions. In Saint Petersburg, epicenter of the phenomenon, the promise of attractive remuneration attracts young people in an irregular situation or without perspectives.
The testimony of Abdoulaye Thiongane, Senegalese stock student in Russia for two years, has been throwing raw light on this opaque system. “Recruitment often goes through informal channels. Some are approached directly by agents, others give in under financial pressure. We promise you regularization, money, sometimes even nationality, ”he explains.
Within the diaspora, anxiety grows. Deaths are reported, as evidenced by a photo that recently circulated in a community WhatsApp. “He was a compatriot who died at the front. He had enlisted, but never returned alive. We are talking about Malick Diop, but he is not the only one, ”deplores Abdoulaye.
