Diplomatic standoff over lost rangers

By: STAFF REPORTER

A DIPLOMATIC standoff is brewing between Zimbabwe and Botswana over the detention of three Botswana game rangers who strayed across the border.

The two countries were set to meet this week to resolve the issue after Botswana announced over the weekend that it would recall its defence and intelligence envoys from Zimbabwe by end February over what it called Harare’s “rebuff” of efforts to resolve the spat since the rangers were arrested tracking animals last month. Two Zimbabwean police officers, suspected to be poachers, were arrested last year after being found in possession of ivory in Botswana and have also been released to the Zimbabwean government.
Zimbabwean state media reported that that country’s Home Affairs Minister Giles Mutsekwa said a meeting would take place this week between officials from the two countries to discuss the arrest of the Botswana rangers.
The three wildlife officers were arrested and detained after mistakenly entering Zimbabwe while tracking animals.
Botswana said several efforts to resolve the matter, including an attempt by Vice President Mompati Merafhe to meet President Robert Mugabe at a recent African Union meeting, had failed.
“In view of the stance taken by the government of the republic of Zimbabwe to rebuff all attempts... Botswana has taken a decision to recall its defence and intelligence attaches by the end of February 2010,” it said last week.
Zimbabwe was expected to reciprocate and recall its attaches by the same date, it said.
“The position of the government of Botswana is that these two posts should be frozen and never be filled,” it said.
Relations between Zimbabwe and Botswana have cooled since President Ian Khama, the only leader in southern Africa openly critical of President Robert Mugabe, came to power.
Poaching has been on the increase in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and security agents from the three countries are said to be working day and night to try and contain the problem.