cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/41936214
Late last year, the world was alerted to the disturbing news that Russia was recruiting hundreds of young African women, aged 18–22, to manufacture drones in a military-industrial compound 1,000 km east of Moscow, called the Alabuga Special Economic Zone. The reports also stated that the recruits—from at least fifteen African countries—were promised good salaries and skills training, but once there, they were often trapped, facing tax deductions, dangerous working conditions, strict surveillance, and difficulties returning home.
In the past six months, a team from [journalists] in seven African countries investigated the Russian recruitment exercise, asking why so many young Africans take the chance to go, sometimes even after being warned.
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Among the shocking findings of this transnational investigation, launched today, is the involvement of high-ranking government officials in six of the seven countries—and the tacit approval in all seven—in sending their countries’ young women abroad. In Cameroon, a ruling party VIP and member of the Cameroon-Russia Business Council has actively taken 13 recruits to Alabuga and reportedly plans to supply Russia with “a hundred more this year.” A Kenyan and a Nigerian ambassador have been promoting the initiative on-site in Moscow and at Alabuga itself. In Rwanda, “orders from above” have allowed female students to travel to Russia “for vague purposes.”
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A major tool for recruitment is a barrage of slick propaganda on Telegram, Facebook, and other social media channels, ranging from purported testimonials by enthusiastic participants, sometimes in school uniforms (there are no accounts of girls actually attending school in Alabuga), to orchestrated talks and interviews on YouTube. Positive “testimonials” have also been distributed through widely read news media in African countries, some of which have published them uncritically. A warning posted by a prospective recruit, who had shared international reports about drone manufacturing at Alabuga on the dedicated registration Telegram channel in Nigeria, was immediately removed.
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Late in August, a Bloomberg investigation in South Africa revealed that the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance in that country—which says it operates under the mandate of the national Women’s Ministry—had signed an agreement to supply Russia with 5,600 workers next year, including to Alabuga. In a comment, the Women’s Ministry denied being “formally linked” to the recruiting organisation but said it “was aware” of it. The BRICS Student Alliance in the same country has also advertised Alabuga jobs, together with some high-profile influencers. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said it was investigating but added that the “South African government is yet to find credible evidence that job offers in Russia are inconsistent with their stated purpose.”
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Several African organizations - like Somalia’s Nile Foundation (which is fighting youth unemployment in its country) or the “Friends of Russia in Madagascar” - are actively promoting the so-called Alabuga Start World, located in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone where the Iranian Shahed drones are assembled. The promotion has been mainly running on these organizations’ social media accounts like Facebook or Tiktok, portraying Russia as a career opportunity for young African women. But it’s unclear (to the best of my knowledge) whether the organizations know about the fact that these women are building Russia’s suicide drones (at lower pay and under worse conditions than advertised).
What we can say is that the drone factory has been attacked by Ukraine. Russia exploited these attacks for its own propaganda in Africa, portraying Ukraine and ‘the West’ as evil.
Exploited in Russia: African women forced to make drones
They hoped for a better career but ended up in Russia’s war factories. A new study reveals how young women, mainly from Africa, have been being exploited. Some of those affected have shared their stories.
South African influencers under fire for promoting Russian war jobs
… [The influencer Cyan Boujee on social media] said she was being shown around the Start programme, in Russia’s Tatarstan region. “They are given housing, jobs and on top of that, they are taught to speak Russian.” Yet days later, Ms Boujee and several other influencers had deleted their videos and apologised to their vast followings …
Their contrition followed a South African government warning for young people to be vigilant against human trafficking scams and wary of “unverified foreign job offers”.
The ministry for women and youth expressed “grave concern over recent reports of alleged job offers circulating on social media that target young South African women aged 18 to 22 for employment opportunities in Russia” …
The Alabuga Start programme being promoted by the influencers has repeatedly been accused of being a front for Vladimir Putin’s war machine, which lures women under false pretences, only to force them to work in factories making drones to attack Ukraine.
Analysts said the episode highlighted Russia’s continuing efforts to win over Africa’s youth and its effective use of powerful young social media influencers to spread its messages …
Kenya, Nigeria, Ruanda, I thought they were the countries on the side of the West. Nigeria was supposed to bring back democracy to Mali and Niger. Isn’t it much more worrisome that those countries start supporting Russia than Russia convincing 5600 workers?