492 Chapter 4
560 SOUTH AFRICA/571 BOTSWANAMID#3031
Dispute Number: 3031
Date(s): August 25, 1984 to October 25, 1984
Participants: 560 South Africa/571 Botswana
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (Negotiated)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This dispute describes a series of incidents as South Africa’s domestic
turmoil became linked to the politics of its neighboring countries. First, on August 25,
1984, South Africa threatened Botswana to sign a nonaggression agreement similar
to the Nkomati accord that South Africa had inked with Mozambique. This threat
failed, and in September South Africa began a “mock offensive” or war games at the
borders of Botswana and Namibia, including tens of thousands of troops and hundreds
of tanks. One month later, on October 26, two South African warships carrying heavy
machine guns strayed into Botswana’s portion of the Chobe River, near Kasane, and
were fired on by the Botswana Defence Force. No further incidents occurred with this
particular dispute, and both countries began talks on the border in December. How-
ever, the conflict restarted the following year.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from August 26, 1984. Outcome changed from
Unclear. Settlement changed from None.
MID#3030
Dispute Number: 3030
Date(s): June 14, 1985
Participants: 560 South Africa/571 Botswana
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: South African commandos launched a raid into Gaborone, Botswana,
targeting alleged African National Congress insurgents based there. Sixteen people
were killed.
MID#2580
Dispute Number: 2580
Date(s): May 19, 1986
Participants: 560 South Africa/571 Botswana
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: In the South African government’s effort to eradicate the threat of the
African National Congress from taking power and ending apartheid, the South African
military conducted several attacks on what appeared to be ANC headquarters through-
out the southern part of the continent. South African commandos raided the capitals
of Zimbabwe (MID#2570) and Botswana (MID#2580), and South Africa launched a