05 Mar 2026

Government has contingency plans in place for the possible evacuation of Batswana in the Middle East, should circumstances so require and permit, Minister of International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale has said. 

Updating Parliament on Wednesday, on the evolving situation in the Middle East and the safety of the citizens of Botswana in the region, Dr Butale said, however, due to the closure and restriction of portions of the Middle Eastern airspace and ongoing volatility of the security situation, evacuation is not feasible at this time. 

He also revealed that based on information presently available to the ministry, Batswana in the region were safe and accounted for and that communication channels between missions and citizens remained active to ensure timely dissemination of verified information and appropriate guidance. 

“I can further inform the House that according to our records, the only Motswana resident in Iran, Mr Nijel Amos, travelled back to Botswana prior to the current hostilities,” he said. He urged citizens in the region to exercise heightened vigilance, limit all non-essential movement, comply fully with directives issued by local authorities and maintain regular contact with diplomatic missions. 

Dr Butale said government continued to assess options in close coordination with the missions and international partners and that the Embassy in Kuwait, was engaging with regional counterparts, including fellow Southern African countries with resident missions, to exchange information, coordinate precautionary measures where appropriate and ensure that consular support mechanisms remained responsive. 

On the economic front, he said relevant ministries and agencies were closely monitoring global oil prices following disruptions to production and supply routes and would respond in accordance with established policy frameworks to safeguard national economic stability. 

Regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said government had received reports that some Batswana had fallen victim to deceptive recruitment practices and lured to Russia with promises of opportunities such as self-development training programmes and body guard or security jobs. 

To that effect, he said, government on December 2025, successfully facilitated the safe return of one of the individuals before he could be deployed to front line. 

He said those included approximately 16 Batswana, out of which four were confirmed to have travelled to the Russian Federation, while the whereabouts and status of the remaining three individuals had not yet been confirmed.

 He said through the ministry and in collaboration with relevant international mechanisms, including INTERPOL, efforts were ongoing to establish the facts and determine their location and wellbeing. 

Dr Butale urged Batswana to exercise vigilance when engaging with recruitment agencies operating within and outside the ountry, particularly those advertising opportunities abroad. 

“While many agencies operate legitimately, he said, there were instances where certain entities at times promoted through social media platforms, may not be properly verified or may misrepresent the nature of the opportunities being offered,” he said. 

He added that records indicated that approximately 300 Botswana nationals resided across the Middle East with 200 in the United Arab Emirates, 50 in the State of Qatar and smaller numbers in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran. 

Kanye West MP, Mr Victor Phologolo advised the minister to contact affected families to give them assurance that their members were safe. 

Kgatleng West MP, Dr Unity Dow asked minister if there were investigations regarding trafficking and if there were any fatalities. 

Tlokweng MP, Mr Phenyo Segokgo asked the minister to dispel lies or ascertain speculations regarding the US airbase in Botswana. Kgatleng Central MP, Mr Mpho Morolong asked whether African Union and SADC were formulating a position on situation to evacuate their people. 

In response, Dr Butale said it was in order that regional blocs were working with multilateral bodies on seeing how they can evacuate their people. 

He implored the nation not to peddle speculations that were insensitive to concerned families. 

He said law enforcement agencies were working round the clock with others in the multinational to assist Batswana abroad. 

“There are no truths to the fact that some people have lost lives and there was no US base in Botswana,” the minister said. ENDS