Botswana and Rwanda have signed a Memorandum of Agreement on defence cooperation covering military operations, sports, culture and exchange of information on matters of common interest as well as the status of attached personnel.

 Minister of Defence and Security Mr Kagiso Mmusi and his Rwanda counterpart Major General Albert Murasira signed the agreement in Gaborone Wednesday.

  Mr Mmusi described the agreement as a milestone made possible by the visionary leadership of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and Rwanda head of state Mr Paul Kagame.

 “Both Botswana and Rwanda retain a position of good standing in the African continent and are well respected for their contributions towards attaining peace in their respective regions as well as Africa as a whole,” said Mr Mmusi.

 He noted that both countries had and continued to play a significant role in maintaining international peace and security as evidenced by their troop deployment in Mozambique.

“The two countries have also in the past collaborated in joint military exercises which were aimed at building operational capacity for deployments in UN and AU peacekeeping missions,” Minister Mmusi said.

  He explained that the agreement was in line with the defence and security agenda of the two countries and expressed the conviction that it ‘will create an opportunity where the benefits of defence cooperation can be optimised’.

 In addition, he said it would go a long way in enhancing military cooperation between the two countries’ defence forces.

 He therefore challenged commanders of Botswana and Rwanda defence forces to ensure the mutual benefits of the agreement were realised.

    The minister said the agreement allowed for joint budgeting towards the teaching and training of personnel of either of the two nations.

       For his part, Maj. Gen. Murasira said during Dr Masisi’s state visit to Rwanda at the invitation of President Kagame in 2019, the two leaders decided to set up an institutional cooperation mechanism including a Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC).

  The first session of the JPCC in April gave birth to the agreement which was strengthening the existing defence cooperation between the two nations, he said.

   “I am confident that it will strengthen our ability to work together not only to ensure our nation's security but also to enhance African stability and to address global security challenges,” he said.

  Maj. Gen. Murasira and his delegation also visited Botswana Defence Force and Botswana Police Service facilities.