Southern African Development Community (SADC) founding member Botswana is currently hosting Exercise Southern Accord, a two-week joint military exercise to upskill participants in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, peacekeeping missions and aeromedical evacuations while enhancing multinational military capabilities and inter-operability.
Three locations in Botswana – Gaborone, Thebephatshwa Air Base in the Kweneng district and Shoshong 250 km away in the country’s central district – are and will see Botswana Defence Force (BDF) elements exercising and training alongside personnel from the United States (US) Army and Air Force.
One US element is the North Carolina National Guard which has a 16-year relationship with President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s military. The BDF/North Carolina National Guard partnership has facilitated any number of military best practice exchanges deepening collaboration between the forces, Major Joe Legros reported for the US Army.
US Army Southern European Task Force Africa (SETAF-AF) is the lead in the US Africa Command (Africom) sponsored Southern Accord. The involvement of the National Guard unit demonstrates, according to Legros, a shared commitment to collective defence efforts.
BDF Deputy Commander, Major General Joseph Seelo, sees Southern Accord as a platform to “engage on issues of common interest in the theatre of operations and throughout the broader national security environment. We also have a view to explore other potential areas of co-operation that will further enhance our mutual relationship”.
He encouraged exercise participants to “engage in an open, mature and candid way”. This he sees making better soldiers “ready to deploy around the world to defend peace and security, including violent acts against humanity”.
US Army Colonel Mark Whiteman, defence attaché at the US Embassy in Gaborone, noted Southern Accord was both important and an indicator of the “enduring partnership” between the two nations.
“From academic courses to the field training exercise (FTX), to real-world humanitarian aid, this year’s exercise provides an unparalleled opportunity to increase our joint readiness. The world in which we live, with problems and security challenges that cross borders and continents, requires us to be prepared. Working with our partners is how we will succeed in tackling these challenges, while safeguarding the people we serve,” he told the opening ceremony audience.
BDF Staff Sergeant Charles Magalie reports Southern Accord as aiming to enhance BDF and US military capabilities in, among others, special operations, air capabilities, logistics, disaster response, gender integration in operations, infantry skills training, as well as combat engineering capabilities training. A medical capability (MEDCAP) exercise will be part of the FTX in Shoshong.
Legros has it Southern Accord will see rigorous training, knowledge and expertise exchange to “enhance operational effectiveness”.
A closing ceremony to mark exercise accomplishments and the strengthening of the Botswana/US partnership is set down for Thursday, 15 August. The exercise officially began on 5 August with an opening ceremony in Gaborone.
