02 Jul 2026

Botswana is poised to support the Sahrawi Republic in its quest for self-determination as a sovereign nation.

Speaking on the sidelines of a courtesy call by the Sahrawi Republic’s Special Envoy, Mr Mahomed Yeslem Beisat on President Advocate Duma Boko in Gaborone yesterday, Minister for International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale said the Sahrawi Republic’s struggle for self-determination was a just cause that aligned with Botswana’s principles and one of the cornerstones of the country’s foreign policy.

Dr Butale said Botswana supported efforts to bring all parties together, emphasising that dialogue should remain the primary mechanism for resolving conflicts.

“As we have been following all efforts aimed at bringing peace and resolving the conflict between the Sahrawi Republic and Morocco, we have also noted the Washington dialogue and the efforts that have been ongoing. Therefore the purpose of today’s meeting was that President of the Sahrawi Republic sent a Special Envoy to President Boko, to update him on the dialogue, peace initiatives and efforts to resolve this issue,” he said.

Dr Butale said it was important to understand that Botswana believed in the peaceful resolution of conflicts, dialogue, territorial integrity, sovereignty and the promotion of home-grown solutions to African challenges. He said in an efforts to solve issues on the continent, they should encourage and promote African solutions to African problems.

He further noted that Botswana’s independence from  Britain in 1966 had shaped the country’s commitment to supporting the right of all peoples to determine their own political future and govern themselves.

Dr Butale said Botswana had witnessed the benefits of transformation, having emerged from being one of the poorest countries in the world at independence.

“You must also take into consideration that at the time of independence we were surrounded by hostile regimes in the region, but we still insisted that South Africans should have the right to participate in a democratic dispensation, which is why we opposed apartheid. We supported the liberation struggles in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola. This is in the DNA of who we are as a people,” he said.

For his part, Mr Beisat said Botswana was one of the frontline states that remained surrounded by hostile regimes but was never deterred from championing the rights and freedoms of Africans.

He described Botswana as a source of inspiration and hope for the continent and commended the country’s peaceful, lawful and orderly transformation.

“The transformation of the continent has unfortunately often been linked to crises, pain and difficulties. We learn from Botswana’s experience of a beautiful transformation that was legal and peaceful.

That has made Botswana more than just another country. There are values, morality and symbolism attached to Botswana as a champion of democracy and peaceful democratic transformation,” he said.

Mr Beisat said the right to self-determination was enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, arguing that without that right, other rights could not be fully enjoyed.

He said it was unfortunate that after the end of Spanish colonial rule, Morocco, which he described as an illegal occupier, had undermined the implementation of the principle of self-determination.

Mr Beisat expressed hope that, with the support and solidarity of countries such as Botswana, the Sahrawi people would achieve their aspirations. ENDS