Tanzanian citizen Nemes Tarimo, 33, who fought in the in the Ukraine war as part of the Russian Wagner Private Military Company, died last October while performing a combat mission, a close family member has confirmed.
According to Mr Tarimo’s family, he was in Moscow to study at the Russian Technological University (Mirea) before receiving a prison term for drugs-related offenses.
He was later pardoned under the condition of joining Wagner to fight for Russia against Ukraine in the on-going war.
“Nemes informed me and some other family members on joining Wagner, and we advised him not to, but he said he will join to have himself free,” the family member said.
“We last communicated with him on 17 October last year, [when he was] already a member of Wagner,” they added.
“We then got information from his friends over his death in late December and later we were officially informed by the Tanzania ambassador in Moscow,” they concluded.
The BBC met the family as they waited for the arrival of Mr Tarimo’s body in Dar es Salaam.
They plan to bury him at their home cemetery in a village in the Southern Highlands of the country.
Mr Tarimo’s close relatives described him as a very polite and charming young man.
According to media reports, Nemes died after coming under fire from artillery from Ukraine forces.
