CNN
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The Zambian pupil who died in battle in Ukraine was buried Wednesday in a personal ceremony in his dwelling nation, a household spokesman informed CNN.
Lemekani Nathan Nyirenda died on the frontlines of the Ukraine warfare whereas combating for Russian mercenary group Wagner in September final 12 months.
His household consultant Dr. Ian Banda spoke to CNN Wednesday morning because the household headed to Nyirenda’s ultimate resting place in his village.
“We’re going to bury him now…. We’re in a convoy… His (Nyirenda’s) mom and father are in a automobile behind me. They’re crying proper now,” Banda informed CNN.
Nyirenda’s physique was returned to Zambia final month. On arrival on December 11, his stays have been transported to Zambia’s College Instructing Hospital Mortuary for autopsy checks in compliance with Zambian legal guidelines.
“The funeral gathering on the Nyirenda household residence, burial and memorial service formalities shall solely start upon completion of the aforementioned obligatory statutory procedures,” a household assertion mentioned on the time.
Banda informed CNN forensic investigation carried out on Nyirenda’s physique had been “confirmed,” with out releasing additional particulars.
Nyirenda shouldn’t be the primary African pupil killed within the Ukrainian battlefront combating for Russia in a improvement 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 combating with Wagner in change for cash and amnesty, the ministry mentioned in a statement on Tuesday.
Tarimo was a grasp’s pupil on the Moscow Technological College, learning Enterprise Informatics earlier than being despatched to jail for seven years for undisclosed legal prices in March final 12 months, the ministry said, 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 statement asserting his dying in November.
In a follow-up statement final month, the ministry defined Nyirenda was pardoned by the Russian authorities in August “to hitch a army operation in change for amnesty” and “was killed in September 2022 whereas taking part in army actions.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group admitted to recruiting Nyirenda from a Russian jail, saying he selected to combat to “repay (Africa’s) money owed” to Russia and “died a hero.”
