NEIGHBOURLINESS: Botswana’s communication minister Thulagano Segokgo (right) with his Namibian counterpart, Peya Mushelenga. 
PHOTO: TOIVO NDJEBELA
NEIGHBOURLINESS: Botswana’s communication minister Thulagano Segokgo (right) with his Namibian counterpart, Peya Mushelenga. PHOTO: TOIVO NDJEBELA

Borders: Botswana 'wants peace' with Namibia

STAFF REPORTER
Botswana’s communication minister Thulagano Segokgo says his country’s history of resolving its border disputes with Namibia amicably can serve as a springboard for dealing with similar quarrels in the future.

This is amid sporadic incidents of alleged harassment of Namibians by the neighbouring country’s armed forces.

The 2020 brutal killing of three brothers and their Zambian cousin by members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) along the Chobe River heightened tension between the two countries and saw demonstrations by mostly residents of the Zambezi Region.

A court in Kasane, Botswana, ruled in favour of BDF, absolving it from gross negligence and liability for criminal litigation in the brutal killings, after a Namibian pressure group sought to sue Botswana’s military.

Segokgo, speaking on The Agenda, said his country does not seek trouble with Namibia, and alluded to the peaceful manner in which past differences were handled.

Full-blown conflicts

Namibia and Botswana went head-to-head over Sedudu Island, also known as Kasikili, but the territorial dispute was resolved by a 1999 ruling of the International Court of Justice, which ruled in Botswana’s favour.

“Yes, we have had in the past differences over our border boundaries, which we resolved amicably – very characteristic of the two nations as democratic and lawful states,” Segokgo said.

“There’s been incidents that occurred in the past where there was exchange between our defence force and poachers, as they put it, but our heads of state have held discussions and these matters have been dealt with.”

Exacerbating matters was a border treaty signed on 5 February 2018 by President Hage Geingob and former Botswana president Ian Khama, which saw another island - Situngu – ceded to Botswana.

Some tribal chiefs in the Zambezi Region, including the leaders of the Mafwe and Mayeyi traditional authorities, have rejected the legality of the treaty, which they say was concluded without their consent.

A 2021 investigation into the treaty by the Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Security, Constitutional and Legal Affairs concluded that the deal could lead to potential conflicts and skirmishes between the two countries.

“These little cases may lead to full-blown conflicts, eventually spilling into civil wars and cross-border conflicts,” the committee’s report read.

Solid

But Segokgo said his country only wants a peaceful co-existence with its western neighbour.

“We don’t seek to have any posture that is harmful or detrimental towards Namibia – quite the contrary,” he said in Swakopmund, where he visited various sites with his Namibian counterpart, Peya Mushelenga.

“The relationship between our two heads of state [Geingob and current Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi] is really solid and, as ministers, we are taking a cue from them to ensure we keep relations solid.”

He added: “The reality is that along our borders, there are just one people. They are interacting, inter-marrying... there are relatives across the border. So, we can’t seek to fight our own people. We seek nothing but the prosperity of both our countries”.

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Namibian Sun 2023-12-03

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Nam 2.2 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.48 SAME | Paratus Namibia Holdings 12 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.5 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 63.66 UP 0.80% | Local Index closed 675.32 DOWN 0.41% | Overall Index closed 1631.36 UP 2.13% | Osino Resources Corp 17.1 UP 2.52% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 071.88/OZ UP +1.56% | Copper US$ 3.87/lb UP +1.66% | Zinc US$ 2 537.50/T DOWN -0.3% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 79.29/BBP DOWN -1.58% | Platinum US$ 936.41/OZ UP +0.50% Sport results: Premier League: Newcastle 1 vs 0 Manchester United | Forest 0 vs 1 Everton | Burnley 5 vs 0 Sheffield United | Arsenal 2 vs 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers | Brentford 3 vs 1 Luton Town LaLiga: Osasuna 1 vs 1 Real Sociedad | Real Madrid 2 vs 0 Granada | Athletic Club 4 vs 0 Rayo Vallecano | Girona 2 vs 1 Valencia | Las Palmas 2 vs 0 Getafe SerieA: AC Milan 3 vs 1 Frosinone | SS Lazio 1 vs 0 Cagliari | Genoa 1 vs 1 Empoli | Monza 1 vs 2 Juventus European Championships Qualifying: Swansea City 1 vs 1 Huddersfield Town | Southampton 2 vs 0 Cardiff City | Plymouth Argyle 2 vs 1 Stoke City | Millwall FC 1 vs 1 Sunderland | Sheffield Wednesday 3 vs 1 Blackburn Rovers | Hull City 1 vs 2 Watford | Leeds United 3 vs 2 Middlesbrough | Ipswich Town 2 vs 1 Coventry City | Birmingham City 0 vs 0 Rotherham United | West Bromwich Albion 1 vs 2 Leicester City | Preston North End 0 vs 2 Queens Park Rangers English Championship: Swansea City 1 vs 1 Huddersfield Town | Southampton 2 vs 0 Cardiff City | Plymouth Argyle 2 vs 1 Stoke City | Millwall FC 1 vs 1 Sunderland | Sheffield Wednesday 3 vs 1 Blackburn Rovers | Hull City 1 vs 2 Watford | Leeds United 3 vs 2 Middlesbrough | Ipswich Town 2 vs 1 Coventry City | Birmingham City 0 vs 0 Rotherham United | West Bromwich Albion 1 vs 2 Leicester City | Preston North End 0 vs 2 Queens Park Rangers Weather: Katima Mulilo: 22° | 38° Rundu: 21° | 36° Eenhana: 21° | 32° Oshakati: 24° | 30° Ruacana: 20° | 31° Tsumeb: 22° | 33° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 30° Omaruru: 22° | 32° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Gobabis: 21° | 32° Henties Bay: 16° | 20° Wind speed: 21km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 03:50, High tide: 10:37, Low Tide: 17:05, High tide: 23:20 Swakopmund: 16° | 18° Wind speed: 29km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 03:48, High tide: 10:35, Low Tide: 17:03, High tide: 23:18 Walvis Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 36km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 03:48, High tide: 10:34, Low Tide: 17:03, High tide: 23:17 Rehoboth: 20° | 28° Mariental: 23° | 31° Keetmanshoop: 19° | 35° Aranos: 24° | 30° Lüderitz: 17° | 29° Ariamsvlei: 20° | 34° Oranjemund: 14° | 22° Luanda: 26° | 27° Gaborone: 19° | 37° Lubumbashi: 17° | 20° Mbabane: 13° | 30° Maseru: 17° | 33° Antananarivo: 16° | 27° Lilongwe: 19° | 32° Maputo: 19° | 32° Windhoek: 19° | 28° Cape Town: 17° | 22° Durban: 19° | 29° Johannesburg: 20° | 33° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 31° Lusaka: 19° | 33° Harare: 17° | 32° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.62 | EUR to NAD 20.25 | CNY to NAD 2.61 | USD to NAD 18.62 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.33 | EGP to NAD 0.59 | KES to NAD 0.12 | NGN to NAD 0.02 | ZMW to NAD 0.77 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.81 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.22 | USD to AOA 827.79 | USD to BWP 13.56 | USD to EGP 30.85 | USD to KES 153.08 | USD to NGN 788 | USD to ZAR 18.63 | USD to ZMW 23.82 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 75705.88 Up +0.23% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1630.14 Up +0.81% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 11748.19 Down -0.28% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 24735.39 Down -0.1% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 8879.08 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.51 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 2.00% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 3.91 UP 0.30% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.97 SAME | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.2 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.48 SAME | Paratus Namibia Holdings 12 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.5 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 63.66 UP 0.80% | Local Index closed 675.32 DOWN 0.41% | Overall Index closed 1631.36 UP 2.13% | Osino Resources Corp 17.1 UP 2.52% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 071.88/OZ UP +1.56% | Copper US$ 3.87/lb UP +1.66% | Zinc US$ 2 537.50/T DOWN -0.3% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 79.29/BBP DOWN -1.58% | Platinum US$ 936.41/OZ UP +0.50%