Africa-Press – Namibia. BOTSWANA’S minister of international affairs and cooperation, Lemogang Kwape, says Botswana is committed to working with Namibia to resolve the cross-border issues facing communities living along the Chobe, Linyanti and Zambezi rivers.
The minister said this in response to a call by Namibian parliamentarians in the National Council for southern African countries to cut ties with Botswana for killing and harassing Namibians.
The legislators made this request last week. Kwape says Botswana sees Namibia not only as a good neighbour and a strategic partner in its developmental efforts, but also a friend and an important ally in the region.
“The concerns raised by the members of parliament are respectfully noted,” he says.
Botswana and Namibia cooperate bilaterally as well as through common membership to regional organisations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), he says. Kwape says there are historic and deep-rooted ties between the people of the two countries.
“Moreover, as fellow SADC member states, Botswana and Namibia are equally committed to the maintenance of regional peace and security, as well as the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes.
“Accordingly, along with other SADC states, the two countries subscribe to regional frameworks and mechanisms that promote political and security cooperation, and a conducive environment for regional integration,” he says. The ministry wishes to reiterate that Botswana and Namibia remain close and maintain cordial bilateral relations, the minister says.
Kwape says high-level engagements are ongoing on the border issue as both the presidents of Botswana and Namibia, Mokgweetsi Masisi and Hage Geingob, are committed to fostering peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness among the communities living along the common riverine border.
In February this year, the two countries held the 6th session of their joint permanent commission on cooperation, and in September 2021, they held the 29th session of the joint permanent commission on defence and security.
“To further strengthen relations, the cooperation mechanisms between the two countries have since been elevated to a bi-national commission (BNC).
“Since the BNC is co-chaired by the two heads of state, this will provide high-level political guidance in the efforts to further enhance relations and cooperation between the two countries,” Kwapo says. Since Namibian independence in 1990, Botswana soldiers have killed 37 Namibians along Namibia’s north-eastern border.
Meanwhile, people living along the Chobe, Linyanti and Kwando rivers fear that instances of intimidation and harassment by the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) may lead to civil wars and cross-border conflict.
This was revealed recently in a parliamentary report, titled ‘The security situation along the Chobe, Kwando and Linyanti rivers in the Zambezi region’. The report was compiled by the standing committee on home affairs, security, constitutional and legal affairs of the National Council.
“If boundaries can simply be readjusted like this one of 2018, then nothing can stop other countries from calling for their own boundaries, which will ultimately create the chaotic precolonial situation in Africa,” a resident said, according to the report.
Since signing a 2018 border treaty, Botswana has increased its military presence along the Chobe River, which is said to have led to the deaths of Namibian fishermen and the constant harassment of people living along the river.
The BDF is also accused of illegally crossing into Namibia and burning grasslands to prevent wild animals from crossing over to the Namibian side – especially at Kasika and Mbara islands. Botswana’s army is also accused of harassing Namibian tour operators in the area.
“These cases of hostilities were indiscriminately directed at fishermen, cattle herders, grass mowers, tourism operators and subsistence farmers, and even at innocent people just frequenting the banks of the river on the Namibian side,” the report states.
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