25 Jul 2021

As President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi today sends off a Botswana Defence Force contingent to Mozambique to join the SADC standby Force, we look at the BDF’s previous involvement in international peacekeeping missions. 

United Nations Operation in SOMALIA (UNISOM I) – 1992 -93 In 1992 and 1993, a BDF contingent participated in Operation Restore Hope, a United Nations-sanctioned coalition of forces sent to restore peace in Somalia during that country’s Civil War. At the time the United Nations, through its Resolution 794, wanted to establish a secure environment for humanitarian operations to be carried out. 

Then, Somalia had no real central government and was beset by factional violence and suffered from famine, which was in part due to the warfare and social disruption. The UN’s Unified Task Force (UNITAF) as the coalition was called, was a United States-led, multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. UNISOM II – 1993-1995 SOMALIA – On June 5, 1993, one of the warring warlords, General Mohammed Farah Aidid’s militias killed 24 Pakistani peacekeepers, three Americans and an Italian.

 That would only be the beginning of many such attacks on the peacekeepers. The Security Council subsequently launched the second phase of UNISOM and through Resolution 837, established that the troops could now use “all necessary measures” to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Somali people. Once again, the BDF sent some of its finest soldiers to Somalia, where they acquainted themselves very well. 

The soldiers’ morale was particularly lifted by high profile inspection trips to Somalia, which included those by President Sir Ketumile Masire, cabinet ministers and BDF brass. It was reported at the time that owing to their good behaviour, Botswana troops were loved by Somalis who saw them as blood brothers and would chant, “Botswana! Botswana!” whenever they saw BDF servicemen passing by. 

So popular were Botswana troops that the Somalis were willing to give them information about arms cache, which went a long way in ensuring the success of the operation. Botswana came back from Somalia without suffering any casualties, except one disabling injury to one trooper after a bomb explosion. BDF Observer Mission in Rwanda (1993-1994) From 1993 to 1994, a team of BDF officers participated in another UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda as observers, following the Rwanda genocide in which an estimated 1,100,000 people died. 

BDF peace keeping mission in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) 1993-1994 Following years of Civil War, which broke out in 1977, Mozambican President, also FRELIMO leader Joachim Chissano, and RENAMO leader Afonso Dhlakama agreed to lay down weapons in 1992. The United Nations resolved to send peacekeepers to the former Portuguese colony. Thus, the United Nations Operations in Mozambique (Operação das Nações Unidas em Moçambique - ONUMOZ) was established in December 1992 under Security Council Resolution 797. 

The peacekeeping mission would among others: monitor and verify the ceasefire, the separation and concentration of forces, their demobilisation and the collection, storage and destruction of weapons; monitor and verify the disbanding of private and irregular armed groups; authorise security arrangements for vital infrastructures and to provide security for United Nations and other international activities in support of the peace process.

 Furthermore, the peacekeeping mission would provide technical assistance and monitor the entire electoral process; coordinate and monitor humanitarian assistance operations, in particular those relating to refugees, internally displaced persons, demobilised military personnel and the affected local populations. BDF in Lesotho. 

In May 1998, Lesotho held its general election, the New Lesotho Congress for Democracy comprehensively won 79 of the 80 parliamentary seats. The opposition refused to accept result and took the matter to court where it lost. But the allegations persisted, and soon widespread rioting broke out. 

Seeing the daily destruction and loss of life in one of its members, the South African Development Community assigned South Africa to investigate the allegations. The investigation only registered minor irregularities and SADC concluded the rioting was done by people hellbent on removing a democratically elected government.

 Thus, SADC decided to intervene, codenaming its subsequent peacekeeping mission, which started on September 11, Operation Boleas. The mandate of the unified peacekeeping mission was simple: quell the uprising and ensure a return of normalcy and rule of law to the Kingdom. Botswana joined the South African National Defense Force in the mission and only withdrew its contingent when the situation had normalised. 

BDF in South Sudan, Ethiopia/Eretria Botswana Defence Force troops also formed part of the African Union peacekeeping mission in then war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan, where they were accompanied by some members of the Botswana Police Service in 2006, and in Ethiopia and Eretria. The BDF performed with distinction in all these missions Sources: Wikipedia, Daily News. ENDS