Malawi is set to raise urgent concerns regarding reports of its citizens being “trapped” at a Russian military drone manufacturing facility in Alabuga during the second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo, Egypt, this week from 19-20 December.
The summit, expected to focus heavily on trade, is coming amid widespread reports of human trafficking by Russia.
Recent media reports have surfaced, revealing that African men and women are being lured to Russia with promises of educational scholarships, only to be coerced into supporting the war effort against Ukraine.
Malawi, alongside Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho, has launched investigations to trace and repatriate its citizens.
While full details keep emerging, at least four Malawian women are reportedly being held at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone after their recruitment following promises of well-paying jobs.
The site is a military-industrial complex approximately 1,000 km east of Moscow that produces drones being used in Russia’s full scare invasion of Ukraine.
Recently, through its recruitment drive of Africans, Russia, using its mercenary group Wagner, now called Africa Corps, recruited Zambian Lemekani Nyirenda and Tanzanian Nemes Tarimo to fight at the battlefront against Ukraine, but the two men were killed a few weeks after joining the war.
And now, Alabuga, a scheme only for women aged between 18 and 22, has been the subject of several investigative reports detailing their recruitment to work in an area at a high risk of retaliatory attacks by Ukraine, which has suffered massive human and economic losses as a result of Russia’s aggression.
This controversy comes at a time when Malawi is under scrutiny for its own labour export deal with Israel, which began in 2023.
Malawi Government and Civil Society ResponseMalawi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Chaponda, confirmed his attendance at the summit, noting that he is awaiting final logistics.
“While reports of young girls being trapped in drone manufacturing companies are still reaching us as news, we hope to get clarity from Russia during this summit,” Chaponda said.
“We will hear from them regarding reports of trafficked girls under the guise of scholarships, alongside our discussions on how Africa can benefit from the partnership with Russia.”
Chaponda’s comments follow months of pressure from the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC).
Five months ago, the rights body urged the government to engage the United Nations to investigate the Alabuga reports.HRCC Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba stated:
“We have discussed this with the responsible ministers. It appears the government was initially unaware that Malawian girls were being held in a drone factory.”
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