Ancestral land conflict in Botswana

rdf:langString Ancestral land conflict in Botswana

rdf:langString Ancestral land conflict over the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) arose in the 1970s between the government of Botswana and the San people (Bushmen), and is ongoing, resulting in one of the most expensive court cases in the history of Botswana. In the 1970s, conflict began over the relocation efforts by the government of Botswana (GOB), which ultimately led to some resettlement outside of the reserve in the 1990s. Due to the ongoing struggle between the San people and the GOB over land rights, the "First People of the Kalahari," an organization advocating for the rights of the San people was founded. Debates revolve around whether diamond discovery in reserve, could be the motivation for relocation efforts taken by the government of Botswana. In 2002, the government cut off all services to CKGR residents. A legal battle began, and in 2006 the High Court of Botswana ruled that the residents had been forcibly and unconstitutionally removed. The policy of relocation continued, however, and in 2012 the San people appealed to the United Nations to compel the government to recognize their land and resource rights.