494 Chapter 4
MID#2753
Dispute Number: 2753
Date(s): October 10, 1988 to October 27, 1988
Participants: 560 South Africa/572 Swaziland
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On October 10, 1988, the South African defense force shot a Swazi man
5 kilometers inside Swaziland after he tried to cross the border into South Africa and
retreated back into Swaziland. Five days later Swaziland’s prime minister, Prime Min-
ister Sotsha Dlamini, strongly condemned this incident and called it an act of aggres-
sion on the country. A similar incident occurred on October 27. Swaziland authorities
again protested this action and called for investigation.
Coding changes: End Date changed from October 30, 1988.
560 SOUTH AFRICA/740 JAPAN
MID#258
Started in March 1939. See the narrative in the 255 Germany/290 Poland dyad dispute
list.
565 NAMIBIA/571 BOTSWANA
MID#4117
Dispute Number: 4117
Date(s): October 22, 1997 to April 20, 1998
Participants: 571 Botswana/565 Namibia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This is a territorial dispute between Namibia and Botswana over Kasikili
Island (called Sedudu in Botswana) and Situngu Island in the Chobe River. The
dispute began on October 4, 1997, when a heavily armed Botswana Defence Force
(BDF) detachment in Caprivi’s Linyanti district of Situngu island ordered villagers
not to farm in the area, as it belonged to Botswana. Botswana also stationed troops
on both disputed islands, an occupation Namibia thought should have succeeded an
attempt to seek third-party mediation.
In the first two weeks of April 1998, Botswana protested two confirmed incidents of
Namibian patrols violating its border. On May 6, 1998, following a series of talks, del-
egates from both countries jointly decided to pursue a diplomatic solution, ruling out
military involvement and ending the dispute, though no agreement had been signed
by the end of May. On January 4, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reaffirmed
its decision to hear the case, beginning on February 15, 1999. On December 13, 1999,
the ICJ ruled that the islands belong to Botswana.