KASANE – Namibia and Botswana have jointly agreed to educate and sensitise their residents about all aspects of border-related criminal activities.
This intervention is contained in a detailed civil-military cooperation plan jointly launched by the defence ministers of the two countries on Tuesday in Kasane, Botswana.
The same exercise will be launched in Katima Mulilo today to give more information regarding the operation of the plan.
Over the past two decades, more than 30 Namibians have been killed in Botswana’s anti-poaching operations.
These gruesome acts have led to tensions, while many Namibians feel the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) values wildlife more than human life.
Speaking at the launch of the plan in Kasane, Namibia’s defence minister Frans Kapofi highlighted that it is natural for family members to have differences sometimes.
Botswana and Namibia have had their differences too, sometimes resulting in the loss of lives, he said.
“The good thing that has always happened amidst those differences is that our two governments have always sought peaceful resolutions, including seeking legal recourse. Our differences have always revolved around activities taking place along the borderline, which are not identifiable at some points,” Kapofi observed.
The two countries continue to face numerous challenges along the shared border that range from illegal fishing, illegal border crossings, housebreakings at lodges along the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, cattle rustling, and poaching.
The latter is chief among these illicit activities. “It is, however, disheartening that those crimes are being perpetrated by foreign nationals who sometimes take advantage of our people’s hospitality to commit such crimes,” the seasoned politician said.
As a result, the two governments have taken advantage of the African Union Border Management Programme, which promotes the joint governance of African inter-state borders as instruments for conflict prevention and vectors of peace, security and stability by formulating a boundary treaty.
The treaty was signed in Windhoek by late president Hage Geingob and his then Botswana counterpart, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, in February 2018.
Although it has not been fully- operationalised, Kapofi said efforts are being made to expedite it.
He stressed that the unfettered movement of people across the common border has always been the desire of the two governments.
To that effect, on 24 February 2023, the late Geingob and Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi opened a new chapter in the shared history of the two countries by signing and launching an agreement abolishing the usage of passports and allowing the usage of national identity cards instead for cross-border travel by the nationals of our countries.
“This was not just a bureaucratic change, but a testament to their shared vision to improve the lives of our citizens through increased trade and smooth family visitations. Our convergence here is one of our two governments’ efforts to bolster and foster our working relations, and live together in peace and harmony,” Kapofi continued.
It is thus with that in mind that the two presidents, during the inaugural session of the Botswana-Namibia Bi-National Commission held in Gaborone from 9 September 2022, directed the two defence forces to develop a detailed plan to commence Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) activities targeting communities living along the common border.
“We agree with the chiefs of our two defence forces that for us to be able to arrest and contain the situation, our communities living along the border must be made stakeholders in this campaign. Their involvement and awareness are critical to the success of the security and law- enforcement agencies’ efforts,” he said.
Other stakeholders to be targeted include traditional and other community leaders, as well as government institutions.
Kapofi said this plan is, therefore, not just a strategy, but a beacon of hope for a safer and more secure future for both communities.
Meanwhile, Botswana defence minister Thomas Mmusi said the launch precedes a series of campaigns which will target 21 villages along the common border on the Botswana side, and 19 villages on the Namibian side.
“These activities are designed to address the multifaceted challenges faced by our border communities, ensuring that our defence forces are not only guardians of our nations, but also play a vital role in human development and peaceful co-existence,” he noted.
Some primary components of the plan will be two vital sensitisation campaigns on illegal border crossings, illegal fishing, poaching, and illegal smuggling of arms and munitions, which will run from 9 to 12 July. This campaign will educate citizens on the importance of adhering to the gazetted border entry points or legal entry points, the risks involved in illegal crossings, and the benefits of maintaining orderly and secure borders.
Another sensitisation campaign will be for human-wildlife conflict, and is to be carried out from 6 to 9 August, whereby communities will be educated and sensitised about animal behaviour and how to co-exist with them.
Communities will likewise be informed about the importance of conserving fauna and flora, and the economic and ecological benefits of wildlife conservation.
(Border crimes)
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