Act Daily News
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The Zambian scholar who died in battle in Ukraine was buried Wednesday in a personal ceremony in his dwelling nation, a household spokesman advised Act Daily News.
Lemekani Nathan Nyirenda died on the frontlines of the Ukraine battle whereas preventing for Russian mercenary group Wagner in September final 12 months.
His household consultant Dr. Ian Banda spoke to Act Daily News Wednesday morning because the household headed to Nyirenda’s ultimate resting place in his village.
“We are going to bury him now…. We are in a convoy… His (Nyirenda’s) mother and father are in a vehicle behind me. They are crying right now,” Banda advised Act Daily News.
Nyirenda’s physique was returned to Zambia final month. On arrival on December 11, his stays have been transported to Zambia’s University Teaching Hospital Mortuary for autopsy checks in compliance with Zambian legal guidelines.
“The funeral gathering at the Nyirenda family residence, burial and memorial service formalities shall only commence upon completion of the aforementioned mandatory statutory procedures,” a household assertion mentioned on the time.
Banda advised Act Daily News forensic investigation carried out on Nyirenda’s physique had been “confirmed,” with out releasing additional particulars.
Nyirenda shouldn’t be the primary African scholar killed within the Ukrainian battlefront preventing for Russia in a growth that has sparked fury throughout the continent.
A Tanzanian nationwide, recognized as Nemes Tarimo by his nation’s international ministry, was killed final October final whereas preventing with Wagner in trade for cash and amnesty, the ministry mentioned in a assertion on Tuesday.
Tarimo was a grasp’s scholar on the Moscow Technological University, learning Business Informatics earlier than being despatched to jail for seven years for undisclosed legal expenses in March final 12 months, the ministry acknowledged, including that his physique had been dispatched from Russia and was anticipated to reach in Tanzania quickly for burial.
Nyirenda, 23, was sponsored by the Zambian authorities to check nuclear engineering on the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute however was convicted in 2020 of unspecified crimes in Russia and imprisoned for 9 years and 6 months, Zambia’s international ministry mentioned in a assertion saying his dying in November.
In a follow-up assertion final month, the ministry defined Nyirenda was pardoned by the Russian authorities in August “to join a military operation in exchange for amnesty” and “was killed in September 2022 while participating in military activities.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group admitted to recruiting Nyirenda from a Russian jail, saying he selected to battle to “repay (Africa’s) debts” to Russia and “died a hero.”