Foreign relations of Botswana

Botswana’s diplomatic ties benefit not only its people but the whole of Southern African region. Its international relationships have been so successful that it can reach out even to other African nations to assist in economic and political stability. It is the home of the South African Development Community (SADC) headquarters, which Botswana uses as a tool for economic development and promotion of self-policing measures of member-states to address conflicts and maintain good governance. It is a member of the African Union and the United Nations.

After gaining independence from Britain in 1966, Botswana has been looked up to by many countries like the United States, as a model of stability in the African region. The US has been a major partner of Botswana in development. USAID-sponsored programmes in Botswana in the 1990’s focused on education and training, reproductive health, entrepreneurship, and environment conservation and preservation. Health programmes have also been established to combat tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Botswana maintains harmonious foreign relations with neighbour South Africa. Botswana and South Africa enjoy a free flow of trade between them. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were formalised in 1992 when representative offices for each country were established.

Same with South Africa, Botswana’s strong foreign relations with Namibia has been notable. Economic and infrastructure development has been the thrust of the two neighbouring states. The latest infrastructure development partnership of the countries is a railway construction project signed in 2009 that will connect Botswana and the Namibian port of Walvis Bay.

Among its neighbours, Botswana only has Zimbabwe to deal with. Botswana’s immigration office reported to be repatriating more than 2,000 Zimbabweans each month, who illegally cross the border to escape the economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe. Botswana has been constructing an electric fence along their border.