Botswana will assist in airlifting African troops for peacekeeping operations in the strife-torn Darfur region of Sudan.

The Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Phandu Skelemani told Parliament on Monday that with its limited resources, Botswana will continue to contribute to international peace and security. "In this regard, honourable members may wish to know that we now have 15 Botswana Defence Force (BDF) personnel and two Botswana Police Service personnel serving in the African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan as well as four BDF personnel serving in the AU Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea," Skelemani said when requesting Parliament to approve the P193.7 million budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Minister Mompati Merafhe.

He asserted that Botswana needs to be in the thick of things and must stand to be counted. He said the country is committed to paying its contributions to regular budgets of all the regional, continental and international institutions. He revealed that Botswana will open two more diplomatic missions - one of them in India. Member of Parliament for Molepolole North Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri urged government to open a mission in Nigeria. He said Nigeria was among the first countries to open a mission in Botswana after independence.

MP for Gaborone Central Dumelang Saleshando said government should not just contribute money to international organisations but must try hard to secure Batswana jobs in these bodies. He said these organisations employ very few Batswana. He urged President Festus Mogae to help in democratisation of the SADC region especially Swaziland and Zimbabwe adding that silent diplomacy has failed.

Saleshando expressed disappointment at what he called rewarding of 'political rejects' by deploying them in Botswana missions abroad. He said that there are many Batswana who are qualified and aspiring to represent their countries outside but are never considered.