13 Feb 2025

Interdependence remains key to any administration that wants to better the lives of its people.

Minister of International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale said this on the fringes of the ongoing 46th ordinary session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU) summit, which paves way for the 38th Heads of State and Government of the African Union summit to be held from Saturday until Sunday.

“There is no country that can operate in silo. It is important that as Botswana we continue to interact and entrench our relations with the rest of the world,” Mr Butale stated, adding that right from the onset, the Umbrella for Democratic Change-led government had categorically communicated its human rights-centred approach to its foreign policy.

He said the government brought the human rights-centered approach of governance to the African Union and to the rest of the world, hinged on the Southern African nation’s enviable democratic credentials such as peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue.

He cited the October 30, 2024 general elections and the subsequent seamless transfer of power by the Botswana Democratic Party to the UDC as a case in point.

On the executive council agenda, Minister Butale said other than going through some reports from the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), the summit would hold elections for various positions and that Botswana would vote with caution to ensure that like-minded individuals and nations got elected to such key positions.

“We are going to look at relations that we have with the country where the candidate comes from and we are also going to look at our vision for Africa, which is Agenda 2063 and vote for people who will propel this vision much better than others,” he said.

The Executive Council is composed of Foreign Affairs Ministers of member states or authorities as designated by AU member states and is responsible for coordinating and making decisions on policies in areas of common interest to member states. The Council is answerable to the Assembly.

On the AU summit’s theme; Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations, Minister Butale is of the view that it seeks to address the issue of human rights.

This, he said did not mean that Africa did not have what it takes to rise because the continent had enormous human and mineral resources to reach greater heights.

That being the case, Minister Butale opined that the conversation must be heard with the view to finding lasting solutions because history was laced with injustices meted out against Africans and people of African descent.

Conflict resolutions to war-ravaged Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan will also be deliberated upon. ENDS