Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
The North Carolina National Guard hosted a press conference on Thursday at Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh to welcome His Excellency Mpho Churchill O. Mophuting, Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the United States.
The visit, which included meetings with key North Carolina leaders, marked a renewed effort to expand the partnership between the state and the southern African nation in defense, education, agriculture, energy, and economic development.
Ambassador Mophuting, who joined Botswana’s Diplomatic Corps in September 2023 after retiring as a Major General and Deputy Commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), brought with him decades of military and strategic expertise. A graduate of the U.S. National Defense University in Washington, D.C., Mophuting holds multiple advanced degrees and distinguished awards, including the Order of the Knight of CISM and the General Carlton W. Fulford Award from the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies.
Botswana and the North Carolina National Guard have collaborated under the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) since 2008. This program improves military-to-military cooperation and whole-of-society engagements.
“I have seen it grow beyond military to military cooperation and bring other entities into the program,” Mophuting said, noting the expanding ties into civil governance, research, and disaster preparedness. “I came first wearing the uniform and am on a fact-finding mission to look for the areas we can partner with North Carolina and bring the North Carolina (state government) leadership to Botswana someday,” Mophuting explained.
Dealing with the economic sector, the ambassador emphasized Botswana’s goal to create 500,000 jobs in the next five years—a mission tied closely to expanding partnerships with international allies.
“It’s an ambition. It’s a goal we have set and that everyone will benefit, especially the younger generation,” he stated.
North Carolina’s strength in research and education was a major theme during Mophuting’s visit.
“Education is one sector that we know North Carolina specializes in, especially when it comes to research. Botswana has been involved with NC for a long time in our work on agriculture,” he said while noting existing academic partnerships with universities like Texas A&M, MIT, and Virginia Tech, expressing interest in expanding cooperation with North Carolina institutions.
Questions from local media and attendees at the press conference covered a range of topics, including medicine, agriculture, technology, and disaster management. Mophuting described Botswana as eager for collaboration: “We have (the SPP) knowledge and experience, and are looking for a partner in development, and working together, we believe in transforming the economy and building strategic partnerships.”
Mophuting's message to North Carolina leaders was clear: Botswana is open for business.
“You are more than welcome to do business and invest in Botswana, we will try everything possible to make it as attractive as possible,” he said while assuring safety, flexibility, and visibility of those who already do business in the country..
He also highlighted Botswana's commitment to climate change initiatives and wildlife conservation. Having previously visited Los Angeles to study wildfire response and resilient infrastructure, Mophuting stressed a desire to harness Botswana's natural solar and wind resources.
“Imagine a country which has more cattle than people itself… there are more cattle than us,” he remarked humorously. He added, “The largest population of elephants are found in Botswana. Currently there are about 40,000 herds of elephants roaming the world. And about 16,000 of them are found in Botswana. Botswana has dedicated about 40% of its land mass to wildlife conservation. We are very proud of that.”
Botswana is a landlocked nation in southern Africa, bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. With a population just over 2.4 million and a landmass comparable to France, it is one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries. The Tswana people make up the vast majority of the population, and the nation is considered Africa’s longest-standing uninterrupted democracy, though it is categorized as a "flawed democracy"—the highest democratic ranking on the continent.
Botswana is rich in natural resources, wildlife, and cultural heritage, and has maintained relative political stability since gaining independence in 1966. It has transitioned from one of the poorest nations at independence to an upper-middle-income country with a strong record of good governance and economic growth.
Ambassador Mophuting addressed broader geopolitical concerns, particularly around the potential implications of suspended U.S. funding to PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), a U.S.-led global health initiative that has been instrumental in Botswana's HIV/AIDS response. A recent study forecasts tens of thousands of additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa if funding is not reinstated.
Mophuting’s visit included meetings with Governor Josh Stein, Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffaloe Jr., NCNG leadership, and Visit NC representatives.
“North Carolina and Botswana have a lot of similarities and can partner with mutual benefits, exchange notes, and we can learn from each other,” he concluded.
