Eq.Guinea youth warns of Russian recruitment trap

International

2026-07-292026-07-29By Correspondent

MALABO (Equatorial Guinea) – Daniel Angel Masie Nchama had no idea what he was getting into when Russian recruiters sent the young man from Equatorial Guinea into battle in war-ravaged Ukraine.

“I realised we were at the front when a missile struck us,” he told AFP. Now back home at his parents’ modest house in the capital Malabo, the 22-year-old former IT student recalled the freezing cold, hunger, fear and finally, flight, achieved with the help of his country’s diplomatic efforts.

Dreaming of finding a life abroad, he was convinced by a Cameroonian named “Fabrice” to head to Russia. He left in December 2025, believing he was going to undergo military training, with the promise of work as a bodyguard.

On arrival, he and the other prospective recruits were asked to sign documents in Russian, a language none of them spoke.

Basic training