Botswana must not be a flag of convenience for rogues
Mmegi Editor | Friday April 10, 2026 06:00
‘A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle’.
- George William Curtis
According to the report carried in this publication, the fraudsters operating the so-called “dark fleet” have selected Botswana’s flag as their cover of choice. This is a direct assault on our country’s most valuable asset, the good name.
For decades, Botswana has cultivated an unimpeachable reputation for good governance, morality, and a balanced, principled foreign policy. It is precisely this good standing that has made our flag so attractive to the unscrupulous operators of sanctioned oil tankers and gas carriers.
In the murky world of international shipping, where vessels shuttle cargo from pariah states through volatile chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, a flag is more than coloured cloth, but a passport. By fraudulently flying Botswana’s colours, these vessels are seeking to borrow our legitimacy to navigate a world of sanctions and scrutiny.
These seventeen vessels are not transporting humanitarian aid.
They are almost certainly part of the shadowy logistics chain that finances conflict and circumvents international law. They broadcast false data, they hide their ownership, and now they hide behind our reputation. Every day that these ships ply the oceans with “Botswana” painted on their sterns, our diplomatic capital is eroded. We risk being viewed, however unjustly, not as the principled middle power we are, but as a passive enabler of sanctions-busting.
The Government must act with far greater urgency than has been displayed thus far. The upcoming meeting of the International Maritime Organisation’s Legal Committee in London is a diplomatic battleground where we must reclaim our sovereignty. Botswana must send a robust delegation armed with a singular, unequivocal message that will not be a flag of convenience for rogues.
The examples of Malawi and Zimbabwe, as detailed in this investigation, show the path forward. They have written strongly worded disclaimers and collaborated with INTERPOL to dismantle these phantom registries. Botswana must do the same, and we must do it loudly. We must formally demand the IMO blacklist the entities issuing these bogus certificates under our name and work with global maritime monitors to ensure the “Hai Long 1” and its fifteen sisters are forced to haul down our colours.