Ugandan Father Seeks Repatriation After Being Lured into Russian Army, Escapes to Ukraine
KAMPALA – A Ugandan man is desperately appealing to his government for help to return home after a harrowing ordeal in which he was deceived by promises of civilian work in Russia, only to be forced at gunpoint to join the Russian military before escaping and surrendering to Ukrainian forces.
Richard Akantorana, a 43-year-old father of two from Uganda, recounted to reporters how he was approached by a recruiter who offered well-paid jobs in Russia as a supermarket worker, factory employee, or airport security guard. Hoping to secure a better future for his family, Akantorana took out a loan from a savings cooperative to finance the journey.
“The promise was a honest job, a chance to change our lives,” Akantorana stated. “I never agreed to fight in any war.”
Upon arrival in Russia, the deception quickly unraveled. Instead of being taken to a workplace, he was locked inside a military camp and coerced under threat of weapons to enlist in the Russian army. Fearing imminent deployment to the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine, Akantorana made a daring escape under cover of darkness.
“I ran until I could run no more,” he said. His flight ended when he encountered armed Ukrainian soldiers, to whom he immediately surrendered. He is currently being held by Ukrainian authorities as his situation is processed.
The Ugandan government has been made aware of his plight, with Akantorana formally requesting urgent intervention to facilitate his repatriation back to Kampala. This incident sheds light on broader concerns about the alleged recruitment of vulnerable individuals from African nations for Russia’s war effort, often under false pretences.
Officials in Kampala have not yet issued an immediate public response regarding this specific case. For now, Akantorana remains in limbo, a world away from the civilian job he was promised, hoping his government can bring him home to his family.
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