The Botswana Defence Force had only 60 soldiers in 1976, when President Sir Seretse Seretse journeyed to the USA to beg for foreign military assistance, declassisifed US Foreign Document shows. The document shows that it was declassified by America on 27/7/04. Also of importance about this declassified document is Seretse's revelation to his US counterpart that since independence Botswana's philosophy was not to have an army. Seretse says: "For a long time since our independence, the basis of our defense was that we were unarmed. Now it is a great weakness, because all know there is no force to stop them."Seretse met with his counterpart Gerald Ford on June 9, 1976, 11am, to ask for military assistance to enable Botswana to defend itself against Ian Smith's Rhodesia.
According to the declassified document, Seretse was accompanied by Archibald Mogwe, Minister of External Affairs, US ambassador Amos Dambe, PS Ministry of External Affairs, according to the documents. Among others Seretse also went there to receive an honorary degree at Princeton.The document reveals Botswana's effective security force numbered only 60 men (at the time), and that Seretse was concerned that in spite of his policy of not harbouring liberation movements, Botswana was powerless to stop them from using its territory as a base for operations against Rhodesia.
