Louis Matshwenyego Fisher

Louis Matshwenyego Fisher was commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) from 1998 to 2006. He is a recipient of the Légion d'honneur and a Presidential Order of Honour.

Born in the village of Tsau in Ngamiland District, now part of North-West District, Fisher received his primary education in Maun, at the Moremi III Primary School, and his secondary education at Materi Spei College in Francistown. He attended the University of Botswana and graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He joined the BDF the same year.cite news |title=A soldier and a gentleman |url=http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20050928 |work=Botswana Press Agency |publisher=The Government of Botswana |date=2005-09-28 |accessdate=2007-08-01]

Over the next twenty years, Fisher attended and graduated from the Command and General Staff College (CGSC), the U.S. Army War College (USAWC), and the Naval Postgraduate School, and acquired master's degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration. In 1998, he was inducted into the International Officer Hall of Fame of the CGSC and the International Fellows Hall of Fame of the USAWC.cite book |author=Rupiya, Martin (ed) |title=Evolutions & Revolutions: A Contemporary History of Militaries in Southern Africa |url=http://www.iss.org.za/pubs/Books/Evol_Revol%20Oct%2005/Contents.htm |accessdate=2007-08-01 |year=2005 |month=October |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |location= |isbn= |pages=vi]

He assumed command of the BDF in 1998, succeeding Seretse Ian Khama, [cite book |last=Kenosi |first=Lekoko |editor=R. Williams, G. Cawthra, and D. Abrahams |title=Ourselves to Know: Civil-Military Relations and Defence Transformation in Southern Africa |url=http://www.iss.org.za/pubs/Books/OurselvesToKnow/Contents.html |accessdate=2007-08-01 |year=2002 |month=September |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |location= |isbn= |pages=198 |chapter=The Botswana Defence Force and public trust: The military dilemma in a democracy |chapterurl=http://www.iss.org.za/pubs/Books/OurselvesToKnow/Kenosi.pdf] [cite news |title=Mogae among thousands at 27th BDF Day |url=http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20040406&i=Mogae_among_thousands_at_27th_BDF_Day |work=Botswana Press Agency |publisher=The Government of Botswana |date=2004-04-06 |accessdate=2007-08-01] son of ex-President Sir Seretse Khama, "paramount chief" of the Bangwato tribe, and current Vice-President of Botswana. [cite journal |last=Swatuk |first=Larry A. |year=1999 |month=May |title=Botswana: The opposition implodes |journal=Southern Africa Report |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=27–30 |url=http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=3758 |accessdate=2007-08-01] He retired on November 1, 2006, succeeded by Tebogo Masire. [cite news |title=Masire appointed BDF commander |url=http://www.mmegi.bw/2006/October/Friday27/9976358941912.html |work=Mmegi |date=2006-10-27 |accessdate=2007-08-01] [cite news |title=Fisher Motivates Soldiers |url=http://www.mmegi.bw/2006/October/Monday30/8060346641459.html |work=Mmegi |date=2006-10-30 |accessdate=2007-08-01]

Fisher is now a senior lecturer at Southern African Defence and Security Management Network's Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies. [cite news |title=Masire to succeed Fisher at BDF |url=http://ngamitimes.com/index1.html |work=The Ngami Times |date=2006-11-17 |accessdate=2007-08-01]

References