List of wars involving Botswana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of wars involving Botswana.
The military in modern Botswana
Since its independence in 1966, Botswana has only maintained a limited military, in the form of the Botswana Defence Force. Upon gaining independence, Botswana relied on police in a lieu of a military, with a single paramilitary group in the form of the Police Mobile Unit.[1]: 85
The BDF was formed in 1977 in response to border incursions from Rhodesia and further shaped by incursions from apartheid South Africa in the 1980s. As a defensive force, the BDF has engaged in limited external military actions, focused on international peacekeeping, and limiting Botswanan involvement in wars.[1][2][3]
List
| Conflict | Combatant 1 | Combatant 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Dimawe[4] (1852) |
Various Botswana (Bakwena, Batlokwa, Balete, Batswapong, and Bahurutshe) tribal warriors |  Voortrekkers |
Victory |
| World War II (1939-1945) |
Allied Powers
|
Axis Powers | Victory |
| Operation Restore Hope[6] (1992-1993)  |
 UNITAF
|
United Somali Congress | UN success |
| Operation Boleas[7][8] (1998–1999) |
 SADC
|
Lesotho opposition
|
Victory |
| Insurgency in Cabo Delgado[9] (2021–present) |
 Mozambique Rwanda SAMIM
|
 Ansar al-Sunna Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
Ongoing |
