Young Africans who left for Europe to seek a better future unfortunately end up on the battlefield with weapons in hand because they chose a path of no return.
Dongmo Kemton Beaurice Brice was a 38-year-old ambitious Cameroonian. In October 2023, he decided to go to Europe for a better future because of the country’s economic situation.
It would have been a fairy tale if he hadn’t had the idea of finding a quick way of gaining money in a capitalist world where everyone focuses on their own interests and doesn’t measure danger.
Who would have thought that this young Cameroonian’s dream would turn into a nightmare for his family? Seduced by the social and financial benefits offered by the Russian government as part of a special recruitment process, he was immediately enlisted in the Russian army to lead operations in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, he died during the operations.
A war whose economic and geostrategic interests do not benefit Africa and will not improve the daily lives of his compatriots either. A death that has raised awareness among many concerns the danger of sudden immigration.
This case is just the tip of the iceberg.
Last year, another Cameroonian, Zeutsa Kensong Roger Jordan, left Douala for Russia in the same circumstances. Enlisted by the Russian army, he belongs to the Cameroonian military, and according to the latest report, he has not been found, according to Cameroon magazine.com.
On the other hand, Awamo Mitterand, another African, was killed by the Ukrainian forces on February 26th 2025, and his body was abandoned in the forest. The Cameroon web and GTV info related to this. The last pathetic case was attributed to Yondjeu Fabrice, who was insidiously recruited in Cameroon to go to Russia for war purposes. He was massacred during the operations on February 12th 2025.
Due to this misfortune, on March 13th 2025, as part of the military personnel security, the Minister, delegated to the Presidency of Cameroon in charge of defense, decided to take measures to protect Cameroonian soldiers from possible desertion to go to risk areas under the pretext that they are looking for better life opportunities.
Moreover, international conventions do not protect this category of soldiers from various nationalities external to the parties in conflict. The international community will remember their ultimate sacrifice at any moment.
It is more than an obligation to end this war, as the American President Donald Trump said so well. The consequences go beyond the Russian-Ukrainian forces. These young boys who gave their lives to Russia have lost everything because they will never lift their families out of poverty and despair.
Their death remain a disaster for their families who were probably waiting to celebrate the success of their worthy sons. It is essential to recognize that it is easy to start a war but challenging to put an end to it. Therefore, Africans engaged in uncertain conflicts with external interests must watch out and face the consequences.
By Lilian Neg, African Correspondent for NewsVoice
Sources
- Cameroun Web: Tué par les Ukrainiens, l’armée russe annonce la mort d’un Camerounais au front
- Cameroon Magazine: Disparition de Zeutsa Kensong Roger Jordan : un soldat camerounais en détresse
Lilian Neg (1979-) from Cameroon specialises in geopolitics, African politics, communications, and translations. She has an MD in International Law and has written for Le Démocrate (chief desk editor). Since 2009, she has been a PR officer at the Cameroonian Footballers’ National Union.