BOTSWANA has rescinded its decision to recall its military and intelligence attachés from Zimbabwe after the two countries resolved their diplomatic row involving three game rangers who were arrested for illegally straying into Zimbabwe.

The foreign and home affairs ministers from the two countries met in the resort town of Victoria Falls on Wednesday and ironed out their differences, according to Botswana Embassy sources in Harare.

“The meeting went on yesterday and the two countries have resolved the problem. This means that the two diplomats who had earlier been recalled will stay. Zimbabwe will also instruct its counterpart diplomats in Botswana to stay,” the source said in an interview.

The source said official information on the meeting is yet to be released pending the submission of the report on the meeting to the two countries’ ministers of foreign affairs.

The source said the two countries discussed security issues as well as the treatment of each country’s nationals in their countries.

Earlier this month, Botswana’s foreign affairs minister Phandu Skelemani withdrew the two diplomats after the two countries failed to reason over the arrest by Zimbabwean authorities, of game rangers from Botswana for straying into Zimbabwe armed with weapons, without going through immigration formalities.

The game rangers were arrested after crossing into Zimbabwe by mistake while tracking a lion that had terrorised residents of Lesoma village in the Kazungula area.

There is no marked borderline between the two countries.
The border demarcation is a road that is known to people who are familiar with the area.

The rangers, who were said to be new to the area, got lost in the process and they decided to follow a gravel road in the hope of meeting people who would help them with directions.

They found themselves in Zimbabwean territory and were immediately arrested.
The Zimbabwean government refused to release the rangers at the request of the Botswana government, as they were pending appearance in court.

Three weeks later, the rangers were convicted and released after paying a fine of US $100 each.
At the height of the dispute, Botswana had said it would recall its diplomats at the end of this month, and called upon Harare to also recall its officials.

Sunday Post Online