Ethiopia men queue up to volunteer for Russia's fight in Ukraine.
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Loading... - Effia Essel
- 22 Apr 2022
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Ethiopians have formed long queues outside the Russian embassy in the capital Addis Ababa in hope of fighting for Russia in Ukraine but the embassy officials said they're not recruiting foreign fighters from the African country.
The queues have been forming early each morning outside the embassy, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday.
Drawn by rumours on social media, young men and old, many with their military records in hand, have been arriving with hopes of fighting in Ukraine.
What began as a trickle of volunteers swelled over two weeks to scores, two neighbourhood residents told Reuters.
On Tuesday, Reuters reporters saw several hundred men registering with Ethiopian security guards outside the embassy. The guards recorded their names and asked for proof of military service.
There is no evidence that any Ethiopians have been sent to Ukraine, nor is it clear if any ever will be.
A man who came out of the embassy and addressed the volunteers in Russian through an interpreter said Russia had enough forces for now, but that they would be contacted when they were needed.
Russia says not recruiting fighters
The Russian embassy did not respond to questions from Reuters about the man's identity or whether Russia was deploying Ethiopian volunteers to Ukraine.
It issued a statement later on Tuesday saying that it was not recruiting fighters and that the Ethiopians who showed up outside were well-wishers expressing "solidarity and support for the Russian Federation".
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry welcomed the Russian statement for what it called "refuting the unfounded reports of recruitment for the Russian Armed Forces" but did not respond to Reuters questions.
Neither did the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Ukraine's embassy in Addis Ababa referred questions to the Ethiopian authorities.
Poverty and inflation
Ethiopia has called on all sides in the conflict to exercise restraint and did not vote on a UN General Assembly resolution condemning the February 24 assault on Ukraine which Russia calls a "special military operation" to demilitarise the country.
But many in Ethiopia have voiced solidarity with Russia, which has enjoyed close relations with the Horn of Africa nation since the Soviet era.
Social media rumours of a $2,000 payment to join up and the possibility of work in Russia after the conflict tantalised some of the men in the queues.
Many parts of Ethiopia are riven by conflict and annual inflation hovers around 30 percent.
"I am willing to support the Russia government and, in return, once I get out, I will get benefits," Leta Kibru told Reuters outside the embassy, where he returned to check on what he said was his application. Read More...
