The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) on Thursday announced that in the execution of its mission of defending Botswana’s territorial integrity, sovereignty has declared an all out war on poachers.
The army which has been deployed to enforce a 28-day lockdown as a measure to avoid the spread of Coronavirus said poachers were taking advantage of their latest role to enforce the lockdown to poach rhinos and elephants.
BDF spokesperson Tebo Dikole said they have at least killed five poachers in a space of a week as the country battles coronavirus virus side by side with poaching incidents.
“One poacher was killed in a fire fight this week. The second incident occurred this morning on the 2nd April 2020, in another fire fight, where four poachers were killed,” Dikole said.
He said in their continued declaration of war on BDF members, the poachers in both incidents used weapons of war, hunting rifles and other tools of their trade.
” As a professional, prompt and decisive force, the BDF will continue to execute its mission and other assigned tasks, whilst concurrently in collaboration with all Batswana fight a war against the invisible enemy in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dilokole.
The BDF therefore, appealed to all Batswana to join its members in fighting COVID-19 through adherence and compliance to the extreme social distancing pronounced by President Mokgweetsi Masisi coupled with precautions outlined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Botswana has since registered four cases of Coronavirus and one death.
KO/abj/APA