SCENESETTER FOR DAS THOMPSON'S VISIT TO BOTSWANA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GABORONE 000453 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/S FOR MUNCY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON KHIV PHUM MOPS BC SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DAS THOMPSON'S VISIT TO BOTSWANA REF: 05 GABORONE 1721 ¶1. Mission Botswana welcomes the visit of DAS Carol Thompson on April 12-13. As a stable, middle-income, multi-party democracy, Botswana represents the potential of Africa. Yet, Botswana faces significant challenges - a severe HIV/AIDS epidemic, an international human rights controversy over the treatment of the San, extreme income inequality, and the need to diversify its diamond-based economy. The Mission is engaging Botswana on all of these fronts to enhance our partnership and support it in proactively consolidating its achievements at home and promoting their emulation abroad. A STABLE, MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY ¶2. Since Botswana achieved independence from Great Britain in 1966, it has been a stable, multi-party democracy. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) won a majority in the October 2004 parliamentary election, as it has in every election since independence. Support for opposition parties, however, has steadily grown. Although they polled a combined 48 percent of the popular vote in 2004, this yielded only 23 percent of the National Assembly seats. Their hopes to unite to unseat the BDP in 2009 are dim due to infighting and the popularity of Vice President Seretse Khama Ian Khama -- son of first president Sir Seretse Khama -- who is likely to succeed President Mogae in March 2008. A DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS STORY ¶3. At independence, Botswana was one of the ten poorest countries in the world. The country had an annual per capita income of less than $100, fewer than 8,000 meters of paved road, and only a handful of university graduates. Following the discovery of diamonds in 1967 and commencement of mining in 1971, this situation began to change. Unlike other nations blessed with great mineral wealth, the Government of Botswana ploughed its diamond revenues into investments in infrastructure, education and health care. Between 1967 and 1997, Botswana's economy grew at an average annual rate of nine percent. By 2000, Botswana became one of the few developing countries to graduate to middle-income status and earn an investment grade sovereign credit rating at the "A" level. Today, this Texas-sized country of 1.7 million people enjoys an annual per capita income of $4,800. That wealth, however, is extraordinarily concentrated. Botswana suffers from high unemployment (24 percent) and poverty rates (30 percent). The implications of this skewed income distribution became clear when a recent diarrhea outbreak resulted in over 400 infant deaths, many of already malnourished children. ¶4. In 2005, Botswana's economy grew at 8.3 percent, due overwhelmingly to growth in the value of its diamond exports based on increased output and a favorable adjustment to the exchange rate mechanism. Diamonds account for roughly three-quarters of Botswana's exports, almost half of government revenues, and about one-third of GDP. AGOA eligibility has helped to diversify exports, particularly into textiles. Last year, Botswana exported $67.3 million to the U.S. and imported $178 million. AGOA covered $30.1 million of exports to the U.S., up fifty percent from 2004. The Mission continues to work with the government and private sector to identify new strategies for expanding the non-mining sectors of Botswana's economy through regional and international trade. ¶5. Botswana's democratic institutions and credible economic policies have made it eligible to transfer up to $7.4 million in debt owed the U.S. to local NGO conservation activities through the Tropical Forest Conservation Act. This will only happen, however, if the government signs an agreement with the U.S. this fiscal year. TFCA has the potential to transform local NGO involvement in the environmental sector. HIV/AIDS: BOTSWANA'S BIGGEST THREAT ¶6. UNAIDS estimates that more than 330,000 Batswana out of a population of 1.7 million are now living with HIV/AIDS; many are not aware of their status. In 2005, the infection rate among pregnant women aged 15-49 was 33.4 percent, down from 37.4 percent in 2003. Officially, some 18 percent of all deaths in the country are due to AIDS, although the actual percentage is probably much higher. The nation's growing orphan population, largely attributable to AIDS, is estimated at 112,000, but some predict that it could rise to as high as 214,000 by 2010. GABORONE 00000453 002 OF 003 ¶7. Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (EP),the USG provided $20 million in 2004, $48 million in 2005 and $55 million in 2006 for prevention, treatment and care programs, managed largely by the State Department and CDC (USAID's involvement in the EP in Botswana has been muted because of the lack of a bilateral program). In partnership with the Government of Botswana, the EP has made an impact. Over 60,000 people are now on anti-retroviral treatment (up from 10,000 in 2003),which is likely about half the people in the nation requiring such treatment. Programs for prevention of mother to child transmission have brought infant infection to virtually zero. Over 230,000 Batswana have been tested (some more than once) since the inception of USG-funded "Tebelopele" voluntary counseling and testing centers. Eight of the sixteen "Tebelopele" sites were constructed using DoD Humanitarian Assistance funds managed by the Office of Defense Cooperation; five more are in the works. The Peace Corps program, which encompasses fifty-eight volunteers, focuses exclusively on combating HIV/AIDS. ¶8. President Mogae has called HIV/AIDS "the greatest challenge Botswana has faced," and has spearheaded a multi-sectoral strategy including prevention, care and treatment programs. A key component of the strategy is the free public anti-retroviral treatment program, the first of its kind and scale in the world. Botswana also introduced routine testing for HIV/AIDS at government health facilities. Happily, some indicators suggest that the epidemic's rate of growth may be declining. As noted previously, the prevalence rate among pregnant women 15 to 49 dropped 4 percent from 2003 to 2005. The drop is higher among younger women -- more good news. There also has been a decrease in rates of sexually transmitted diseases and some evidence of a decline in risky sexual behavior. ¶9. Botswana's private/public partners in its overall efforts to combat HIV/AIDS include, in addition to the U.S. Government, Baylor University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Catholic Relief Services, Bristol Myers Squibb, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Merck Foundation and a number of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. SAN/CKGR CONTROVERSY TARNISHES GOOD IMAGE ¶10. An international controversy that has erupted over the GOB's treatment of the San ethnic minorities threatens to tarnish Botswana's strong record of respect for human rights. Beginning in the mid 1980s, the government encouraged residents of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve to relocate to villages outside the park and offered them compensation to move. After several rounds of compensated moves, the government cut off public services within the CKGR, including access to water in January 2002, effectively coercing the last hangers on to relocate. Those San and other minorities who felt forced to move took the government to court, challenging the constitutionality of the relocation. U.K.-based NGO Survival International (SI) is funding their case and waging a public relations battle against Botswana by depicting its diamonds as "conflict diamonds." Although the government recently gave indications that it was willing to pursue a mutually agreeable solution through dialog, President Mogae's recent vocal refusals to "capitulate" to SI's demands have thrown these prospects into doubt. The Mission is reaching out to DeBeers, the government and NGOs to try to facilitate a solution to this damaging row. BOTSWANA TO RETURN TO PEACEKEEPING ¶11. Botswana boasts one of the most professional and capable militaries on the continent. During the last fourteen years, the Botswana Defense Force has participated in three major peacekeeping operations (PKOs),Somalia 1992-1994, Mozambique 1993-1995, and Lesotho 1998-2000. Since the Lesotho operation, Botswana has not sent troops to participate in any large scale PKO, although it does have military observers deployed to Eritrea and Sudan. In November 2005, however, Botswana agreed to help airlift a contingent of peacekeepers to Sudan. (The BDF has three C-130 aircraft obtained through the DOD Excess Property program, which are commonly thought to be the best maintained of their kind in Africa.) The government agreed to participate in the airlift with the following two stipulations: the US military lead the operation and the government receive reimbursement for the expenses of the operation. Through EUCOM's military-to-military contact program, BDF officers have been afforded the opportunity to observe a USAF transport operation in Rwanda and an GABORONE 00000453 003 OF 003 additional training/assessment event is scheduled for April 16-21 to further assist the BDF prepare for an August/September mission to Sudan. RE-ENGAGING SADC ¶12. In 2003, SADC decided it could no longer sign agreements with USAID because of U.S. government policy and legal restrictions concerning Zimbabwe. Since that time, USAID has supported SADC technical working groups and independent units, such as the SADC Parliamentary Forum, within the relevant legal parameters. In August 2005, the SADC Heads of State appointed Tomaz Salomao the new Executive Secretary of the SADC Secretariat. In addition, the secretariat underwent a near-total personnel turnover in 2005. While this further stalled implementation of SADC's various agreements, the new leadership at SADC is willing to open up opportunities for the U.S. to re-engage with SADC within our set policy and legal bounds. In his meetings with the Ambassador, Dr. Salomao has expressed his desire to reestablish closer working relations with the U.S. (reftel). COMMENT ¶13. In addition to familiarizing yourself with Botswana and the many facets of our Mission, your visit will provide an opportunity to reinforce a few key messages: We applaud Botswana's strong record on good governance. We are able and eager to expand our partnership, such as our important HIV/AIDS mission and new important environmental initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Conservation Act. We are glad that Botswana is preparing to provide air support to the Sudan PKO and believe that, given its highly professional military, this is an important role for Botswana to fulfill. In order to maintain a positive international image, the government should expedite a resolution to the CKGR controversy. We hope that creative thinking on both sides will enable U.S. and SADC to re-invigorate our partnership in keeping with the limitations we have due to the crisis in Zimbabwe. CANAVAN