Botswana reports increase in cases of forced recruitment of its citizens into the Russian army

Botswana's Ministry of International Relations stated that an increasing number of the country's citizens are being forced to fight on Russia's side in the war against Ukraine. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.

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In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry urged citizens not to accept job offers without verifying their authenticity. According to the ministry, many people are tricked into traveling abroad, after which they are forced to participate in hostilities.

"The number of Botswana citizens being misled and drawn into such schemes is growing at an alarming rate," the ministry's statement said. It also noted that the department "continues to receive desperate calls from Botswana citizens who are already on the front lines and describe the dangerous conditions in which they find themselves."

Individuals who recruited Africans to fight on Russia's side in the war have been arrested and held accountable in countries such as Kenya and South Africa.

In February, the non-governmental organization Inpact, which implements the All Eyes On Wagner program, reported that at least 316 Africans have died fighting against Ukraine. Many of them had minimal military training. Kenya stated that about 1,000 of its citizens had been recruited.

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