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Botswana - Relations with U.S. (Notes)

U.S.-BOTSWANA RELATIONS The United States considers Botswana an advocate of and a model for stability in Africa and has been a major partner in Botswanas development since its independence. The U.S. Peace Corps returned to Botswana in August 2002 with a focus on HIV/AIDS-related programs after concluding 30 years of more broadly targeted assistance in 1997. Similarly, the USAID phased out a longstanding partnership with Botswana in 1996, after successful programs emphasizing education, training, entrepreneurship, environmental management, and reproductive health. Botswana, however, continues to benefit along with its neighbors in the region from USAIDs Initiative for Southern Africa. The Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA), which implements the U.S. Agency for International Developments (USAID) Initiative for Southern Africa (ISA), is headquartered in Gaborone as well. The United States International Board of Broadcasters (IBB) operates a major Voice of America (VOA) relay station in Botswana serving most of the African Continent. In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) started the BOTUSA Project in collaboration with the Botswana Ministry of Health in order to generate information to improve TB control efforts in Botswana and elsewhere in the face of the TB and HIV/AIDS co-epidemics. Under the 1999 U.S. Governments Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic (LIFE) Initiative, CDC through the BOTUSA Project has undertaken many projects and has assisted many organizations in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Botswana. Botswana is one of the 15 focus countries for PEPFAR, the Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief and began receiving funding and assistance under this program in January 2004. PEPFAR assistance to Botswana, which totaled $20 million in FY 2004 and doubled to $40 million in FY 2005, is contributing to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care interventions. The Governments of Botswana and the United States entered into an agreement in July 2000 to establish an International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Gaborone. The academy, jointly financed, managed and staffed by the two nations, provides training to police and government officials from Southern Africa and eventually from across the continent. The academys permanent campus, in Otse outside of Gaborone, opened March 2003. Over 1,500 law enforcement professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa have received training from ILEA since it began offering classes in 2001. Principal U.S. Officials Ambassador--Katherine H. Canavan Deputy Chief of Mission--Philip R. Drouin USAID Regional Center for Southern Africa Director--Erna Kerst Defense Attache--LTC Davis (Lee) Butler Office of Defense Cooperation--LTC Daniel M. Jones Centers for Disease Control--Dr. Margarett Davis International Board of Broadcasters--William Martin International Law Enforcement Agency--Stan Moran Peace Corps--Peggy McClure The U.S. Embassy is on Embassy Drive off Khama Crescent--P.O. Box 90, Gaborone (tel. 267-353-982; fax 267-356-947). USAID is located on Lebatlane Road. DAO and ODC are located at the embassy. CDC is located on Ditlhakore Way in Gaborone. ILEA is located in Otse, about 30 minutes outside of Gaborone. The IBB station is located in Selebi-Phikwe, about 400 kilometers northeast of Gaborone.