Reuters
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South Africa’s government said on Thursday it will investigate how 17 of its citizens joined mercenary forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict after the men sent distress calls for help to return home.
The men were lured into fighting under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts, a statement issued by South Africa’s presidency said. All are between the ages of 20 and 39 years and are trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas region, it said, adding that the government was working to bring them home.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these seemingly mercenary…
