Gaborone accuses Moscow of luring Batswana to battlefield

A growing number of African countries are expressing concern about their citizens being recruited to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Botswana is the latest nation to accuse Moscow of using deceptive tactics to lure foreign recruits to the battlefield. Without saying how many of its citizens were involved, Gaborone's foreign ministry claimed its nationals were duped into going to Russia and then forced into active combat.

The recruits are reportedly promised jobs, bonuses and citizenship but are sent to the frontline.

The ministry said it "continues to receive heartbreaking calls from Batswana already on the frontline, describing the perilous conditions they face."

The Stop Russian Recruiters platform, which is linked to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, says it's identified close to 3,000 African recruits, of which one in six have already been killed.

Another Ukrainian group, Truth Hounds, say foreign fighters are offered between $1,500 and $2,000 a month.

Kenya says it's identified more than 1,000 nationals who've travelled to Russia to fight. The country's foreign minister has demanded that Moscow cease the recruitment of Kenyan citizens.

Most African recruits are believed to come from Egypt, Kenya, Cameroon and Ghana. Several countries in southern Africa have also reported the recruitment of their nationals.