Botswana

The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana) was previously the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. When hostile Ndebele began pushing their way onto lands traditionally held by the Tswana-people in the late 19th century, several of the Batswana leaders requested help from the British government. Between 1885 and 1964, the land was administered by Britain, but when proposals were made for democratic self-government they were granted, with general elections and ratification of a constitution leading to full independence in September 1966. Botswana is one of very few nations in Africa to have never suffered a coup d'etat, dictatorship, civil war, or armed conflict with any of its neighbors.

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is composed of approximately 12,000 personnel, including two infantry brigades, four infantry battalions, an engineer regiment, and a commando regiment.

Camouflage Patterns of Botswana

• Following the British tradition, Botswana has issued DPM pattern camouflage to its members since the mid-1980s or early 1990s.