botswana/namibia - Cour international de Justice

Bechuanaland authorities to its enquiries, see below, and the active correspondence taking
place between London and Pretoria following the Trollope/Redman Report of 1948. The only
other construction must be that a deliberate decision was taken to advance the South African
claim on behalf of South West Africa, which was under discussion, by the placement of the
boundary in the southern channel.
G40 - Extract from Joint Operations Graphic Ground Map. Sestetic, Zambia, SW Africa,
Botswana, S. Rhodesia, 1:250,000, 1966, (Botswana Supplementary Atlas, Map 9) annotated
in red to show limits of Chobe National Park
603. The Namibian Memorial places great reliance on this map and states:
"The map has a special significance by reason of the publicity that was given to it and the
evidence that it was carefully considered by the Bechuanaland authorities while still in draft
form". (para. 314)
The paragraph then refers to a request from the South African Survey Directorate to "examine
the prints carefully...and supply as much information as possible by way of criticisms,
corrections and additions" (Namibian Memorial, Annex 106). Although the reply from the
Bechuanaland authorities has not been traced, Namibia concludes by reason of amendments
made to the map in the Chobe locality that such a reply was received.
604. In the light of further correspondence which has come to hand from South African
archives, Botswana is now in a position to produce to the Court the actual exchanges relating
to the treatment of international boundaries on the 1949 Map.
605. On 6 February 1945, the Deputy Chief of Staff, of the Survey Directorate, Pretoria wrote
to the High Commissioner, Bechuanaland Protectorate in the following terms:-
"1. As you are perhaps aware, maps at 1/250,000 of the Caprivi Strip are at present being
prepared by the Director of Military Survey from an aerial survey recently carried out and
using, in addition, all available data of the surrounding terrain.
2. Reliable information is now required regarding the southern boundary of the Caprivi Strip,
i.e., the boundary between the Strip and Bechuanaland.
3. Will you please advice me whether you have any plans, Boundary Commission Reports or
Agreements, or any other documents bearing on the matter and which would assist in the
proper delineation of the boundary on the maps now being compiled.
4. If you have any such plans, reports, etc, would you kindly forward a copy of each to this
office for use in the a/m compilation". (Botswana Counter-Memorial, Annex 17)
606 The High Commissioner directed the Resident Commissioner to send any information
direct to the Survey Directorate, letter of 13 February 1945 (Annex 17), and on 6 March 1945
the Government Secretary replied to the Survey Directorate as follows:-
"2. There is no official map showing the boundary, but it was agreed that the southern
boundary of the Caprivi Strip eastward of a point 20 miles due south of Andara would follow