Two men from Botswana ‘tricked into fighting in Russia’s war’

The Botswana government has said it is verifying reports that two of its citizens, aged 19 and 20, were deceived into joining the frontlines of Russias war in Ukraine through a fraudulent recruitment scheme. According to the government, the two young men were allegedly led to believe they were travelling to Russia to participate in a short term military school training programme. In a statement, Botswanas foreign affairs department said diplomatic and law enforcement channels have been activated to confirm the authenticity of the reports and locate the individuals involved. In light of these accounts, the ministry, through diplomatic channels and in consultation with law enforcement authorities, is engaged in this matter to ascertain the authenticity of the reports and establish the whereabouts and condition of the two young men to facilitate their repatriation, the department said. The government also issued a warning to young citizens, urging them to be cautious of suspicious international recruitment offers. The youth are encouraged to remain vigilant and to engage relevant authorities, including Botswana diplomatic missions, to verify the authenticity of questionable recruitment proposals. The warning follows similar incidents involving South Africans who were allegedly lured to Russia under the guise of training programmes before being deployed as security personnel for the MK Party. There have also been allegations that young women were deceived into travelling to Russia to work at a factory manufacturing drones.The post Two men from Botswana tricked into fighting in Russias war appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.