05 Aug 2024

Government is committed to ensuring that Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is appropriately resourced and adequately capacitated with requisite skills and knowledge to enhance combat readiness and deliver on its mandate. 

BDF Deputy Commander, Major General Joseph Seelo said it was against such backdrop that the BDF and the United States Military were conducting a joint military training exercise. 

Code named Exercise Southern Accord (ExSA-24), the exercise is carried out in the general areas of Gaborone, Thebephatshwa Airbase and Shoshong. It started on August 3 and ends August 19. 

Major General Seelo, who was officially opening the Exercise Southern Accord at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks yesterday, said the ExSA-24 afforded BDF a rare opportunity to learn from their strategic partners so that they became the best in what they do. 

“It also presents an opportunity for both militaries to further strengthen, in general, the existing bilateral ties between our countries, in particular military to military strategic partnerships and cooperation, to meet demands of todays’ complex defence and security environment,” said Major General Seelo. 

He said the exercise was a platform where the two partners would have an opportunity to engage on issues of common interest in areas of operations and throughout the broader national security environment. 

Major General Seelo said such events did not only benefit countries through military to military exchange programmes, but presented a rare opportunity for cultural exchange between troops. 

He said the exchange opportunities were a vital component that must be considered when forces were deployed in international humanitarian missions to fight for world peace and security. 

“It is no doubt that the complex security environment that our militaries operate in today present a challenging trend of increasingly complex conflicts. These conflicts are characterised by non-asymmetric warfare largely occurring in the realm of insurgency and terrorism in intra state conflicts,” he said. 

Major General Seelo recognised the significant role played by the combined inter agencies and joint training exercise, which he said would sharpen BDF’s skill set and knowledge. 

He said the US continued to play a leading role in the development of BDF’s manpower capability through education and training. The exercise followed the successful collaboration between BDF and US Africa Command where the two co-hosted the African Chiefs of Defence in Gaborone. 

For his part, US defence attaché to Botswana, Colonel Mark Whiteman said the exercise was a continuation of the steadfast partnership between the US and Botswana and it highlighted the trust and confidence between the two nations. “Our security cooperation is nothing new. We have been by each other’s sides whether deployed in Somalia years ago or in training and exercising in military classrooms. With Ex SA-24 here again we will refine our tactics and techniques and increase our joint readiness through the training that will be conducted over the next two weeks,” said Colonel Whiteman. 

He said the purpose of the exercise was to build trust, advance the Botswana/US military relationship and bolster relationships with and between other regional partners in Southern Africa. 

Colonel Whiteman said Gaborone would host activities focused on disaster relief, logistics and sustainment during operations while Thebephatshwa Airbase and Shoshong Range would host air and ground manoeuvre exercises respectively. 

Activities lined up for the exercise include a bilateral field training exercise, air and ground evacuation training, bilateral engineering exchange and a women, peace and security workshop as well as special operations focused on search and rescue including tactical combat casualty care. Ends