BDF to play war games in South Africa

Staff Writer | Thursday September 10, 2009 00:00

 

The officers are drawn from the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Botswana Police Service and Prisons.

The officers join others from all SADC countries excluding Madagascar, which has been suspended from the organisation following a coup. The exercise, code-named Goldfinho, will be conducted in the Limpopo Province.  It will include military personnel and civilians.

Through the exercise, SADC troops will be trained on how to rescue civilians in a conflict zone.

Bidding the last of 100 soldiers who left farewell yesterday morning, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, Mosadi Ramotshabi appealed to the BDF officers to cooperate with their colleagues from other countries and avoid using derogatory words that may upset them.

She said that while in South Africa they should make sure that they obey the laws of that country and avoid talking about political issues.

'Be good ambassadors, protect and uphold the integrity of this country,' she said.

Deputy commander of BDF, Major-General Otesitswe Tiroyamodimo said that the soldiers have sent equipment to be used in the exercise.  He said that Botswana has participated in other peacekeeping missions since its debut assignment in Somalia in 1993. The exercise in Limpopo will take two weeks.

Other troops from Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania passed through Botswana this week on their way to the peacekeeping drill.