‘Not our war’: African families’ anguish as sons trapped in Ukraine conflict

Instead of celebrating her son’s birthday this month, Zimbabwean mother Rodwin Chitewere spent the day praying for his body to be brought home from Russia, where he was reportedly killed fighting Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

In Botswana and South Africa, too, women are desperate for sons and husbands to return from a conflict many say they were duped into joining, as authorities warn recruiters are still active.

Chitewere’s son, who would have turned 23, left with a cousin in April from a remote village in eastern Zimbabwe where he had been living with his grandmother.

His mother – 350km (220 miles) away in Beitbridge – only found out when a relative spotted a change on his WhatsApp status.

Someone later contacted her from Russia to say that her son, Tanaka Muzirikazi, had been wounded in a drone attack.

“We need God’s grace to see if he recovers because it was bad,” said the voice note.