This week, Dakar expressed its dissatisfaction with Kiev, suggesting that it stop recruiting Senegalese for combat operations in Ukraine after recruiting 36 people.
A week after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Senegalese Foreign Ministry claims that “I was surprised to learn about the publication on March 3 on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Embassy in Dakar of an appeal to foreign citizens for help” to the country.
According to a statement from the ministry, Ambassador Yuril Pivovarov “was promptly invited to the Foreign Ministry for the purpose of verifying and authenticating this publication.” He confirmed the existence of this publication, adding that 36 candidates had come forward.
“illegal” practice
Dakar “strongly condemned” this practice, recalling that the recruitment of volunteers, mercenaries and foreign fighters in Senegal is “illegal”. Thus, Senegal “urged the Embassy to immediately withdraw the appeal and to cease without delay any procedure for the recruitment of persons of Senegalese or foreigners from the territory of Senegal.”
Senegal abstained during a vote at the UN on Wednesday demanding “Russia immediately stop the use of force against Ukraine.”