Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GABORONE853
2009-10-30 09:34:00
SECRET
Embassy Gaborone
Cable title:  

BOTSWANA: SCENESETTER FOR PRESIDENT IAN KHAMA'S

Tags:  PREL PGOV ECON KHIV MASS SENV KPKO OVIP BC 
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ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 300934Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6147
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0253
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0236
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 GABORONE 000853 

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR
STATE FOR AF/S, AF/FO
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON KHIV MASS SENV KPKO OVIP BC
SUBJECT: BOTSWANA: SCENESETTER FOR PRESIDENT IAN KHAMA'S
VISIT TO WASHINGTON NOVEMBER 5-7, 2009

REF: A. GABORONE 665

B. GABORONE 674

C. GABORONE 682

D. GABORONE 754

E. GABORONE 785

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).

-------
Summary
-------

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 GABORONE 000853

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR
STATE FOR AF/S, AF/FO
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON KHIV MASS SENV KPKO OVIP BC
SUBJECT: BOTSWANA: SCENESETTER FOR PRESIDENT IAN KHAMA'S
VISIT TO WASHINGTON NOVEMBER 5-7, 2009

REF: A. GABORONE 665

B. GABORONE 674

C. GABORONE 682

D. GABORONE 754

E. GABORONE 785

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) Botswana's President Ian Khama visits Washington
November 5-7 to chair the Conservation International annual
meeting in a confident mood, fortified by a strong election
victory on October 16 that allowed him to assume the
presidency for a 5-year term. Khama has emerged as a
principled, outspoken defender of human rights and good
governance in Africa and has been especially tough on
Zimbabwe's President Mugabe. Botswana has also begun to
project a positive regional influence in assisting some
neighbors to train their militaries. On domestic issues such
as investing in its people, governance, mineral resource
management and civilian-military relations, Botswana is a
model for the region. Khama emphasizes the importance of
Botswana diversifying from reliance on diamonds (more than
one-third of the country's GDP and an estimated 70 percent of
export earnings). He spends less time on working with
regional colleagues to effect change on political issues, in
part because as a career military officer he has little
patience for traditional politics and in part because he
thinks regional colleagues are not as committed to good
governance and transparency. While we value Khama's
outspoken approach, we should encourage him to work with
like-minded colleagues to shape regional consensus in favor
of good governance rather than remain distant from a
consensus shaped by others. Khama's visit is also an
opportunity to highlight the fact that Botswana is the most

stable and reliable friend of the United States in southern
Africa, commend Botswana's stewardship of its resources,
encourage additional peacekeeping deployments by the Botswana
Defense Force, and -- as a prominent environmentalist --
solicit Khama's views on environmental management in Africa.
End Summary.

-------------- -
Newly-Elected President Will Focus on Delivery
-------------- -


2. (C) Ian Khama is Botswana's fourth President and the son
of its revered first President, Seretse Khama. As vice
president in April 2008, he assumed the presidency when
then-incumbent Festus Mogae resigned. On October 16, Khama
led the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to victory in
the 10th consecutive peaceful, free, and fair elections in
the country's history. With 53 percent of the vote, the BDP
won 45 of the 57 seats in Parliament. President Khama is a
no-nonsense and hardworking leader. When he moved into the
presidency in 2008, Khama promised he would focus on "four
D's" as President: democracy, development, dignity and
discipline. After his recent election he added a "fifth D"
to the list: delivery. Khama recognizes that the GOB must
Qto the list: delivery. Khama recognizes that the GOB must
speed up infrastructure and other development projects and
ensure that civil servants are more responsive to citizens.


3. (C) The BDP holds a large majority in Parliament and
should have no trouble passing any initiatives it proposes.
However, the ruling party has been plagued by factional
fighting over the past several months, and Khama will need to
find a way to appease his rivals within the party to avoid
obstacles in implementing his agenda. While critics contend
that Khama is "authoritarian" or "militaristic," it is more
accurate to view him as impatient with traditional politics.
President Khama has approved private discussions between the
GOB and representatives of the San minority tribe aimed at

GABORONE 00000853 002 OF 004


resolving human rights and humanitarian concerns about San
residency in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Local human
rights groups have endorsed this approach and are optimistic
that the ongoing private dialogue will lead to an acceptable
solution. Khama is temperamentally uncomfortable with the
give-and-take of "normal" politics and can be expected to
continue to irritate his critics with his governing style.
Still, Khama's immense personal popularity as the son of the
country's first president will afford him considerable
latitude in governing.

-------------- --
Botswana's Principled Stance on Regional Crises
-------------- --


4. (C) Botswana is consistent and courageous in urging
democracy and the rule of law in Africa, especially in
Zimbabwe. President Khama has refused to bow to the SADC
consensus of "quiet diplomacy" on Zimbabwe and has often
spoken out against the Mugabe regime. Botswana provided
refuge and moral support to now-Prime Minister Tsvangirai
during the negotiations of the Global Political Agreement,
and since the formation of the unity government has
ceaselessly encouraged full GPA implementation. Khama told
reporters in mid-October that the unity government was in
"real danger of collapse" and he warned that should the MDC
pull out of the coalition, Botswana would not recognize
Mugabe as the legitimate President. Botswana has been vocal
on other regional crises include Madagascar and Sudan,
regularly announcing that Botswana would arrest and extradite
Sudanese President Bashir should he visit. In 2008, Botswana
voted with the United States on all key UNGA human rights
resolutions, in violation of the "African consensus" against
single country resolutions, and we expect it to do the same
in 2009. Still, Khama has been reluctant to engage in the
business of building coalitions within SADC and the AU to
create a regional consensus in favor of his positions. He
appears to regard such efforts as not worth the time he would
have to expend on them, in part because he has a low regard
for regional colleagues' commitment to governance and
transparency. As a biracial leader of a relatively small
country that did not go through a bloody anti-colonial
struggle to achieve independence, Botswana faces additional
challenges in persuading others of the virtues of its
positions.

--------------
Prosperous Economy Needs to Diversify
--------------


5. (C) Botswana has risen from extreme poverty to
middle-income status in only 40 years, thanks to a
combination of diamond wealth, good leadership, and sound
macroeconomic policies. Botswana's GDP per capita (PPP) is
over USD 13,000, but thirty percent of its 1.8 million
citizens are living in poverty, many in isolated rural
communities. Khama recognizes that diamonds are not forever,
Qcommunities. Khama recognizes that diamonds are not forever,
and that mineral wealth alone will not improve the living
standards for Botswana's poor. Economic diversification is
the key to Botswana's future success, and the Khama
government is promoting diversification both within the
mineral sector and more broadly. The country is attempting
to move beyond mining and into value-added activities like
sorting and cutting and polishing. A DeBeers-GOB joint
venture (the Diamond Trading Center) opened in Gaborone in
2008, and 16 jewelry firms which have opened production
facilities here are now able to buy rough stones locally.
However, the diamond industry was hit hard by the global
economic crisis. Botswana's economy is expected to contract
by ten percent in 2009, and many of its new jewelry
manufacturers have postponed or scaled back local production,
so it is too soon to tell how this new industry will fare.
Botswana recognizes that due to its location and small
population size, it is not likely to be a traditional
manufacturing center, and instead is focusing on developing a
service economy. While its high value/low impact tourism is

GABORONE 00000853 003 OF 004


its greatest success so far, Botswana has a thriving
financial services industry, and is hoping to expand into
information technology (perhaps call centers or back office
support) and regional medical centers. The Batswana were
traditionally farmers and ranchers, and the Khama government
also hopes to encourage the agricultural sector and reduce
the country's dependence on imported food. Khama is
intensely interested in the Administration's Food Security
Initiative.

--------------
Together Reducing the Impact of HIV/AIDS
--------------


6. (U) Botswana is one of the countries hardest hit by
HIV/AIDS, but throuh partnership with the United States, we
are makng enormous progress to reduce the reach and impact
of the disease. Our partnership with the GOB on PEPFAR works
because the GOB has upheld its side of the bargain, spending
an estimated USD 754 million of Botswana government funds on
HIV/AIDS since 2005. In turn, we have invested some USD 390
million since 2005 to support them, implemented through Peace
Corps, CDC, USAID, DOD, and the State Department. The strong
USG-GOB partnership has encouraged Harvard, Baylor, Johns
Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania to join us,
providing the GOB management and clinical experience,
knowledge, and financial backing. The universities also
cooperate not only with the GOB but also with the Bill and
Melinda Gates, Merck, and Clinton foundations, all of whom
are active here. The World Bank and Global Fund lend
essential multilateral dimensions and expertise to the fight.
The results are astounding: the GOB has virtually eliminated
mother-to-child transmission of HIV; over 80 percent of
Batswana who need anti-retroviral therapy get it; and new HIV
infections appear to be slowing. The struggle remains
intense because 24 percent of Batswana are HIV positive and
131,000 people are on therapy. The GOB is redoubling its
prevention efforts because it recognizes that to succeed in
the long-term, Botswana must significantly reduce the rate of
new HIV infections.

--------------
Professional, Capable Military
--------------


7. (C) The Botswana Defense Force is a capable, professional,
civilian-controlled military that serves as a model for the
continent. Rather than repress its citizens or threaten its
neighbors, the BDF supports civil authorities in the area of
anti-poaching operations, border control, and domestic law
enforcement. Increasingly the BDF also projects its positive
values abroad. Botswana's military training programs for
both officers and NCOs are exemplary, and Botswana is
offering this training to neighbors. Botswana is willing to
host specialized training for SADC militaries, both on
special topics such as counterterrorism and as part of the
BDF's vibrant State Partnership Program with the North
QBDF's vibrant State Partnership Program with the North
Carolina National Guard -- commonly regarded as the best in
Africa. The United States already has a productive
military-to-military relationship with the BDF, and an even
stronger USG relationship would bolster the BDF's military
effectiveness and its critical civilian support roles, and
also have a multiplier effect on military professionalization
in other African countries.


8. (S) The BDF has frequently participated in PKOs in the
past including Somalia, Mozambique and Lesotho. Senior BDF
officials tell us that the GOB has offered an infantry
battalion to UNMIL in Liberia and is in discussions with
UNDPKO. No matter how this turns out, the BDF's most likely
commitment, at least in the near term, to peacekeeping on the
continent would be to provide airlift. The BDF's tactical
airlift capability is easily one of the most effective in
Africa. This capability is currently suffering from a pilot
shortage that could severely decrease its effectiveness.
Increased USG assistance, including through establishing an

GABORONE 00000853 004 OF 004


exchange officer program with the USAF, could help to train
pilots and equip the BDF for potential PKO deployments.

--------------
Environmental Advocates in Africa?
--------------


9. (U) Khama is deeply committed to environmental
conservation. He serves on the board of Conservation
International and plays an active role in its deliberations.
Botswana is a semi-arid country that values water
conservation; through USAID, we are helping Botswana to
partner with its neighbors on sustainable trans-boundary
water management in the Okavango and Zambezi river basins.
Botswana was the first African country to qualify for
Tropical Forest Conservation Act benefits. In 2006, our
governments signed an agreement which combines USD 7 million
in debt relief with USD 8.3 million for conservation of
Botswana's forests, to be administered through a locally
created trust fund, overseen by a Board with representatives
from the USG and GOB. Botswana's citizens realize that their
natural heritage, including the Okavango Delta and Chobe
river basin, has enormous tourism potential and therefore
economic benefits. The country has chosen a high-cost,
low-volume tourism strategy to allow visitors to experience
the country's beauty without destroying it. Public education
and awareness activities are being undertaken by the GOB and
by private environmental organizations, and in the last
decade there has been an increase in community participation
in natural resource management. Botswana is currently facing
an energy crisis, like most of the southern African region.
The country currently imports 80 percent of its power from
South Africa, and its sole electric plant is coal-fired.
Botswana has large coal reserves and plans to expand its
coal-fired generating capacity. However, Botswana is also in
talks with an independent power producer that hopes to
utilize the country's coal-bed methane supply for cleaner
electricity as well as eventually cooking gas and other
commercial applications.

--------------
Unleashing the U.S.-Botswana Partnership
--------------


10. (S) As Ian Khama begins his five-year term as the
President of Botswana, a peaceful, democratic American friend
in Africa, our policy opportunity is how to leverage
Botswana's excellent domestic governance and resource
management to achieve broader regional goals. We recommend
that senior USG officials acknowledge Botswana as a political
and economic success story in Africa. We should find ways to
publicize Botswana's achievements and promote the country as
a model, thereby "rewarding success." Khama has made
expanding Botswana's agricultural sector a key priority, so
perhaps the new Food Security Initiative is a new area of
potential partnership. Second, we should solicit Khama's
opinion on ways that the USG could work more closely in
Qopinion on ways that the USG could work more closely in
southern Africa with like-minded countries such as Botswana.
Khama's unique insights into the inner-workings of SADC, for
example, may aid our policy planning on Zimbabwe or
Madagascar. As a committed environmentalist, Khama may also
offer insights on how we can engage successfully African
countries on important USG initiatives. Our overarching
effort should be to encourage Khama to build upon his
courageous policy positions with more concerted efforts to
work with regional allies. Botswana has matured politically
in recent years and is increasingly willing to speak out
against a regional consensus it finds distasteful. Ensuring
that Khama is effective in the region as well as "right" on
the issues offers considerable potential policy benefits for
the USG.
NOLAN