The President of the Republic of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Botswana on the occasion of the 58th Independence Anniversary of that country, observed on Monday, September 30, 2024.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, in his message to Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, President Boakai extended warm felicitations to the Government and the brotherly people of Botswana on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, as well as in his own name.
The Liberian leader stressed that as Botswana celebrates this significant milestone, it is his fervent hope that the enduring bond of friendship between the two nations will continue to grow stronger.
He added that it is his wish that the spirit of camaraderie and collaboration will guide the paths of the two leaders as they strive for prosperity and well-being for their people.
President Boakai then prayed that the Almighty God bestows upon His Excellency abundant wisdom and strength while empowering him as he leads his compatriots toward greater achievements and prosperity.
After 80 years as a British protectorate, Bechuanaland attained self-government in 1965, becoming the independent Republic of Botswana on September 30, 1966, and maintaining a position of stability and harmony ever since.
Sir Seretse Khama was elected the first president and served until his death in 1980.
According to Wikipedia, the history of Botswana encompasses the region’s ancient and tribal history, its colonization as the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and the present-day Republic of Botswana. The first modern humans to inhabit Botswana were the San People, and agriculture first developed approximately 2,300 years ago.
A power struggle took place in the 1950s between the Ngwato chief Seretse Khama and his regent Tshekedi Khama. Seretse’s marriage to a white woman, Ruth Williams Khama, led the British to ban him from the protectorate.
He returned in 1956 with popular support, and tribes moved toward an elected government as an independence movement formed.
A national legislature was created in 1961, and political parties were formed. Seretse became the leader of the Bechuanaland Democratic Party, which was endorsed by the British government to lead post-independence, and it saw overwhelming support in the first election in 1965.
