Botswana Defence Force - International Cooperation

International Cooperation

• In 1992 and 1993, a BDF contingent participated in 'Operation Restore Hope'- a United States led coalition of forces to restore peace in Somalia.

• From 1993 to 1994, a team of BDF officers participated in a UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda as observers. The same year, BDF troops participated in a UN peacekeeping operation in Mozambique.

• BDF also participated in 'Operation BOLEAS' a SADC military intervention in Lesotho in 1998. This operation culminated in a re-training programme for Lesotho Defence Force members. From 1998-99, 380 BDF soldiers formed part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) task force to quell an internal uprising in Lesotho. Botswana withdrew its contingent when the situation was thought to be sufficiently stable not to require their presence.

• The BDF has also been successfully deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping operations in both Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan.

• BDF has been conducting operational exercises with Defence Forces of neighbouring countries and other friendly forces. “Exercise Thokgamo” was one such exercise conducted in June 2005 in which SADC member states participated. Currently, the BDF has its personnel serving on an African Union Liaison Mission in Ethiopia/Eritrea and has military observers in Darfur, Sudan.