03 Mar 2022

Government has successfully evacuated the majority of Botswana citizens residing in Ukraine, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Lemogang Kwape has said.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday, Dr Kwape said seven out of the nine Ukraine-based Batswana had been assisted to leave the east European state since its conflict with Russia escalated to war.

“We had nine Batswana based in Ukraine; initially the number was thought to be ten, but we have confirmed it to be nine. We have been working with our embassy in Sweden, which oversees Ukraine and Russia, and we have managed to evacuate seven of the nine, and they are now in neighbouring countries, Poland and Hungary,” said the minister.

Dr Kwape, who is in Kenya for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 50th anniversary commemoration,  thanked parents of the seven students for assisting and cooperating with his ministry in the evacuation mission.

“There were times we struggled to communicate with them as they were having telephony network challenges, but the moment their parents were able to contact them they alerted us, which aided the process,” he revealed.

Minister Kwape said the remaining two, who were working in Ukraine, had decided not to leave the country adding that  government could not force them.

“We have advised them on the danger of staying in a country currently besieged by war. But firstly, it would be practically difficult for us to send representation to remove the two. Secondly as a democratic state we respect their decisions as workers,” Dr Kwape said.

Meanwhile, the minister has said government was monitoring the situation of the 191 Batswana residing in Russia among them 57 government-aided students.

“Currently there is no war going on inside the borders of Russia but we are monitoring the situation. We have been alerted of the international sanctions being pursued by some states against Russia, and we are aware that this could impact financial transactions. As such, we have given our students there a lump sum in case they find themselves in a situation where they are unable to access funds in the near future,” Dr Kwape revealed.

He urged Batswana to register with the country’s embassies and consulates   whenever they travelled, settled for work or schooling abroad.

Registration enabled  government to give the necessary assistance in the event citizens found themselves in risky situations, the minister said. Ends