YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Cameroon said on Monday that Russia has confirmed the deaths of 16 soldiers in Ukraine, according to a memo addressed to the Russian Embassy in the central African country.
In the memo addressed to the embassy, the country’s foreign affairs ministry acknowledged the death of 16 Cameroonian soldiers serving in the special military operations zone in Ukraine. The ministry said “necessary arrangements” had been made to contact the families of the deceased soldiers.
A separate message sent the same day invited the families of six other Cameroonian nationals living in Russia to come to the ministry for “urgent matters” concerning them. It did not give further information.
In March last year, Cameroon’s defense minister instructed the country's various military high commands to take “strict emergency measures” to prevent further defections by active or retired Cameroonian soldiers.
Ukraine has said it believes more than 1,700 Africans have been recruited to fight for Russia, and several African nations have said some of their citizens have been tricked into fighting for Russia by offers of lucrative jobs or skills training.
An intelligence report presented to parliament in Kenya earlier this year said that 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia after being misled with false promises of jobs in the country before being sent to the front lines.
Two Nigerians were killed late last year fighting for Russia, Ukraine’s intelligence agency said this month.
Another AP investigation in 2024 found that African women were also duped into being part of the Russian war effort and sent to work in a factory assembling attack drones to be used against Ukraine. They were lured by social media adverts offering work-study programs.
FILE - Ukrainian servicemen fire a Grad multiple rocket launcher towards Russian positions at the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko, File)
CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Former Wales and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey announced his retirement from soccer on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Ramsey has been without a club since leaving Mexican team Pumas last year after a brief, injury-hampered stint in which he missed league matches and several training sessions while looking for his lost dog.
“This has not been an easy decision to make. After a lot of consideration, I have decided to retire from football,” Ramsey said in a statement as he also thanked the supporters of Wales and the clubs he represented in his career.
Ramsey is regarded as one of Wales’ greatest players, scoring 21 goals in 86 appearances and representing his country at three major tournaments.
He helped Wales reach the European Championship semifinals in 2016, where it lost to eventual champion Portugal. His last cap came in 2024.
Ramsey was overlooked for the recent World Cup play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Defeat in that game ended his hopes of a grand finale on the biggest stage.
“It has been my privilege to wear the Welsh shirt and experience so many incredible moments in it,” he said. “It would not have been possible without the incredible input of all the managers I have played under and all the staff who have helped me in many ways.
“To the Red Wall. You have been there through thick and thin! You have been there through the highs and lows, and you have been an essential and indispensable part of our success. I can’t thank you enough. We’ve been through everything together and it’s been an honour to represent you.”
Ramsey started his career at Cardiff before moving to Arsenal in 2008. He won three FA Cups in 11 seasons there, scoring the winning goal in two of those finals.
He then played for Juventus and Nice before returning to Cardiff in 2023, ending last season with a brief spell as interim coach before joining Pumas in July.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - PSG's Lionel Messi, centre, challenges for the ball with Nice's Aaron Ramsey, left, during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Nice in Paris, on Oct. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File)
FILE - Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey, center, celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Europa League first leg quarterfinal soccer match between Arsenal and Napoli in London, on April 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
FILE - Wales' Aaron Ramsey celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Euro 2024 group D qualifying soccer match between Latvia and Wales in Riga, Latvia, on Sept. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov, File)
