Botswana's invidious position

As we understand it, Minister Ndelu Seretse believes that Botswana should accede to the request. We regard this as a troublous proposition because Ndelu must be fully aware that turning it down is more than likely to raise the spectre of mistrust with which Botswana has historically been regarded by other African countries that have questioned our country's pan-Africanist credentials.

This is not helped by the fact that although then a key member of the Frontline States and relatively well endowed, Botswana was always reluctanct to pay its dues to the Dar-based Liberation Committee of the precursor to the AU, the Organisation of African Unity.  In more recent years, Botswana struck a raw nerve when it pronounced itself as being against the indictment of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and the Kenyan pair of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto by the International Criminal Court.