Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06GABORONE453
2006-03-31 12:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Gaborone
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR DAS THOMPSON'S VISIT TO BOTSWANA

Tags:  PREL PGOV ECON KHIV PHUM MOPS BC 
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R 311207Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3086
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
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

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.


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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