31 Jan 2026

As new diplomatic envoys to Botswana sauntered past the pomp and ceremony of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) guard of honour, stepping over a warm welcome mat laid out by the Office of the President, the country’s leadership called for a deepening and broadening of ties.

The newly designated ambassadors of the Republic of Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic received a warm reception as they presented their letters of credence to President Boko, who asked them to work towards greater economically beneficial relations with Botswana.

President Boko asked the new Congolese Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Patrick Kambila Mutombo to look into how the two countries could cooperate in mineral beneficiation and leverage each other’s comparative advantages.

Highlighting that Botswana had the highest credit rating on the African continent and extensive experience in mineral resource extraction and governance, Advocate Boko urged the DRC and other regional countries to utilise the country as a regional centre for mineral trade.

He said Botswana had recently introduced mercantile exchange, which is a centralised, electronic regulated marketplace where standardised contracts for commodities and financial derivatives were traded to facilitate trade in regional resources.

President Boko said if supported, this could boost Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC) regional integration efforts and be beneficial to countries in the region.

He said DRC as one of the most resource rich countries on the continent could leverage Botswana’s vast experience in managing resources for development to the benefit of both states.

President Boko thus expressed Botswana’s wish for stability in the Eastern DRC to allow the country to pursue economic progress unhindered.

When welcoming the new Cuban Ambassador, Antonio Izaguirre, Advocate Boko said the two countries should look at deepening ties in areas such as the medical space, research, education, agriculture and sports.

He said there had been plans in the past for Cuban doctors to open a clinic at the Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital in Maun and said such collaborations should materialise.

President Boko praised Cuba for developing a strong healthcare system that produced doctors and developed vaccines, and thanked Cuban doctors for availing their expertise to Botswana and other African countries over the years.

Ambassador Izaguirre congratulated Botswana on the growing achievements in the field of sports and athletics, noting in particular an emerging talent in tennis, Ntungamili Raguin, now one of the top 50 ranked International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior players worldwide.

He said Cuba was willing to continue collaborating with Botswana in providing sports coaches and medical doctors, as well as other fields such as agriculture.

Nonetheless, Ambassador Izaguirre reflected on his country’s precarious position in global geopolitics, given recent developments in North America, which he said placed his country’s very sovereignty at stake.

Sahrawi Ambassador, Mr Sidihiba Abdala expressed gratitude to President Boko for Botswana’s support over the years in Sahrawi struggle for territorial integrity and sovereignty.

He said Botswana continued to be an example for African countries to follow in terms of governance and providing dignity to ordinary citizens. ENDS