The first African mercenary fighting for Russia was killed near Suja.

According to the death notice, the 32-year-old mercenary fought as part of the assault company of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of the Pacific Fleet Marine Corps, holding the rank of seaman (equivalent to the rank of private in the ground forces). This brigade suffered significant losses in the battles for the Kursk region.

The death of Derrick Ngamana was also confirmed by a source close to the command of the Marine Brigade. According to him, there may be "more than enough" compatriots of the African fighting in the Kursk region, but he does not know the exact number.

Previously, Ngamana served in the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) with the rank of corporal. A photo of Ngamana from 2018 can be found on the UN website showing him during a joint patrol of the city of Bangassou with UN peacekeepers.

In 2023, Ngamana reached out to a family friend and diplomat of the CAR in Moscow, Fortune Wangapou, for assistance in enrolling in a Russian university, but at that time he lacked the funds to travel to Russia. This was reported on Facebook by Wangapou himself. The diplomat's role in recruiting Derrick Ngamana for the war remains unclear, and he did not respond to the editor's inquiry.

Ngamana's younger brother claims that he signed a contract with the Russian army and went to fight in Ukraine in September 2024. According to his brother, Ngamana told him that he hoped to "support his children" and "provide them with a better future."

In the summer of 2024, the recruitment of "young Africans" for the war in Ukraine was written about by Bloomberg.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky, stated in November 2024 that nearly 8,000 Russian soldiers had died in the Kursk region (this figure has not been verified by independent experts). The BBC reports that at least 84 elite fighters have died in the 810th Marine Brigade, which is fighting in the Kursk region alongside the aforementioned 155th Brigade.

Derrick Ngamana is the first citizen of the CAR whose identity has been established among those killed in the Kursk region.