Botswana’s government has called for an overthrow of the Syrian government to avoid more bloodshed. Turning a blind eye to developments in Syria could result in more deaths, the Botswana government said.
In a statement released on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has been vocal about events in Syria, said that there is need for urgent military intervention to curb the state sponsored massacre in Syria. Botswana says that only an armed march into Damascus can bring a permanent solution to the Syrian crisis.
The statement comes shortly after the United States of America’s (USA) Congress concluded its hearings on whether to pass the United Nations Security Council and strike Syria in a humanitarian gesture opposed by superpowers such as Russia and China. Botswana has called on the UN Security Council to take a leading role and support the invasion of Syria to save lives and the continued human rights violations.
The civil unrest in Syria has claimed close to 100 000 lives and forced millions of people to flee the country.
Syrian President Assad is accused by the West of gassing his own people with prohibited chemical weapons.
Unlike her neighbour South Africa, which is advocating for restraint and negotiated political solution, Botswana says the war in Syria will end if there is regime change.
The Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation department openly supports America’s bid to intervene in Syria where rebels are pitted against the Assad government in a civil war that has been raging on for close to 29 months.
“We explicitly expressed before, we hold the view that bloodshed and brutality being perpetrated by Assad’s regime will only come to an end if there is regime change. For a long time, it has been conspicuous that Assad’s regime is prepared to use chemical weapons to thwart any resistance to his tyrannical rule. We therefore find the statement made by the United States Secretary of State on the 26th August 2013 that the Syrian regime on 21st August 2013 used chemical weapons in the Damascus suburbs to be convincing and compelling,” states the communiqu├® from the ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“However, we wish to reiterate our earlier position that punitive action in whatever form, should have long been taken against Assad’s regime as mass murder whether with conventional or no-conventional weapons is tantamount to a crime against humanity,” it further adds.
Botswana has also lashed out at Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, for rejecting resolutions calling for the invasion of Syria. The two superpowers according to Phandu Skelemani’s ministry are still caught up in cold war politics.
“The undemocratic nature of the veto power in the Security Council is being abused in this case, while atrocities are being carried out. The world must not await a mandate from the Security Council under such circumstances. The effect of this deadlock has seen the situation grow worse, leading to the latest incidents in the use of chemical weapons. It will get even worse if there is no meaningful intervention. There is Evil in Syria. Those who are part of it and the few who support them have caused it to triumph. It is time for the good to confront the evil,” says government.
“We once again wish to register our disappointment with Russia and China who as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, have in the past, and in the case of Russia recently, continue to frustrate resolutions aimed at interventions that could find a lasting solution to the ongoing carnage in Syria,” the statement also reads in part.
Government says that it hopes the International Community will act immediately to end the Syrian civil war.
“Some form of robust and immediate actions are essential in order to deter further use of any type of weapons in Syria that cause so much death and destruction,” states the Botswana government, a signatory to the treaty banning the use of chemical weapons.
