by Prof. Malema, Botswana, 1st April 1997
THEME = INTERN.POLIT.
For four years, Botswana and Namibia have been in dispute over an island in the middle of a river. Now the International Court at The Hague has been called in
Botswana's Permanent Secretary for Political Affairs, Louis
Selepeng, said that delegations from Botswana and Namibia met
in The Hague on 28 February to submit written arguments before
the Court, concerning the case. He said: "What follows next
is for the two parties to submit written counter-submissions.
This will be done sometime in November. After that, the Court
will inform us when the hearing will take place. This could
possibly be in the first half of 1998"!
The scene is now set for the most controversial territorial
dispute ever between these two southern African countries - a
dispute which began in 1992. It's all to do with Sedudu Island,
(called by Namibians, Kisikili Island) which covers an area of
3 sq km. The uninhabited island is well-known for its tourism
opportunities, and it lies in the northern Chobe River of
landlocked Botswana, and east of Caprivi Strip which is in
northern Namibia!
The conflict flared up in 1992, as the two countries hastily
went into an unprecedented military build up along their common
border. The spiralling events compelled President Sir Ketumile
Masire of Botswana, and President Sam Nujoma of
Namibia to convene a meeting in the northern town of Kasane,
where President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe played the role
of "honest broker"!
A communique issued after a day-long meeting indicated that
a Technical Committee was to be appointed, to decide on the
boundaries between the two countries. The Committee was to base
its findings on the Anglo-German Treaty of 1890; the 1892 Anglo-
German and Portuguese Treaty; and on maps of the period!
The communique also stated that tensions between the two
countries over ownership of the island should decrease and that
nothing should spoil existing relations between the two
countries. Economic activities such as fishing should continue,
on the understanding that fishing nets should not be laid across
the river. There must be free navigation on the river and
unhindered movement of tourists. The military presence should be
scaled down, except for the purpose of anti-poaching activities.
President Masire is on record as accusing the Namibians of
"shifting the goal posts". He said that according to
experts, the border between the two countries runs along a deep
water stretch of the river, thus making Sedudu part of Botswana.
This opinion is upheld by historian and researcher, Jeff
Ramsey, who quotes a letter from the former South African
Prime Minister's office and the Department of Foreign Affairs,
dated 14 October 1948. The following is a quote from the letter:
"The joint report discloses that while the main channel of
the Chobe River is shown on the maps as passing to the South of
Kisikili Island, it in fact passes to the north of the
island". Ramsey adds that although the eastern Caprivi's
Botswana frontier is defined by the Kwando River, Linyati and
Chobe River, in many places the actual terrain defies easy
demarcation"!
At one time or another, Britain, Germany and South Africa are
all said to have been in dispute over the ownership of the
island. In December 1984,a joint commission between Botswana and
South Africa, decided in Botswana's favour!
Namibians say the island belongs to them and they have always
regarded it as part of their territory on which they can hunt,
fish, plough and graze their cattle. It accuses Botswana of
hoisting its flag on the island while the matter is still under
arbitration, adding that the move "goes against the spirit
of peaceful co-existence in the region"!
Namibia dismisses claims that the matter had previously been
solved under the former Pretoria administration which was ruling
South-West Africa, now Namibia!
President Mugabe didn't make much headway in the dispute, and
relations have deteriorated between the two sides. Last year,
when the German Government halted the sale of 54 second-hand
German built Krauss Maffei I-V MBTs from the Netherlands to the
Botswana Government, a sale which was in the region of US$ 14.2
million, Namibia was accused by Botswana of influencing the halt
in the sale.
END