DIS intel exploitation through Museveni reckless—Dow

Specially Elected Member of Parliament, Unity Dow says the Directorate of Intelligence and Security’s (DIS) exploiting of intel through a pseudo-Facebooker is such a reckless exercise.

Dow, who is in the fight to unmask the identity behind the pseudo-Facebook account, France Museveni, is adamant that the Director of Research and Analysis at the Office of the President Botho Seboko allegedly handles the infamous pseudo-account. She said Museveni was hiding in plain sight and recklessly attacks those he targets while DIS uses them for intel.

In her answering affidavit to Seboko’s defamation lawsuit, Dow mentions that what the DIS is doing is a reckless practice with real effects on the country’s security.

“The reckless practice by DIS through France Museveni of exploiting information or intelligence in the manner they do may have real effects, if it has not already, of putting off potential collaborative partners in the realm of international intelligence liaison or cooperation,” she said. Dow explained that no security-conscious intelligence agency would want to share information or intelligence with an agency that could not be trusted to protect its information and sources.

Dow emphasised that intelligence agencies from more democratic countries where there is effective intelligence may be concerned that they are falling short in their accountability obligation in their own countries if it came to light that the information they shared has been or was likely to be used to abuse citizens in another country.

“Information security remains a key requirement amongst these international intelligence agencies,” Dow said.

She pointed out that Museveni collects and distorts confidential information for purposes of propaganda and slander, which has serious national security implications.

In mentioning that in today’s interconnected world of transnational organised crimes such as human trafficking, Dow said people smuggling, drug trafficking, terrorism, money laundering, and wildlife crimes amongst other ills, have led to it becoming imperative for countries to cooperate more on matters of security intelligence.

The former minister noted that diplomats stationed in the country or anywhere else on the globe are guaranteed diplomatic protection in accordance with the Vienna Convention of 1061, in which the host nation was to ensure that diplomats are enabled to perform their duties without any fear of harassment.

“None of this seems to have mattered when on June 13, 2022, the DIS accosted and subjected an individual in a vehicle bearing SADC diplomatic registration to presumably unsanctioned and therefore unlawful intrusive surveillance in Phakalane,” she said.

Dow said subsequently the DIS through the Museveni Facebook account published the pictures of the individual in the company of brothers, former minister Sadique Kebonang and High Court judge Zein Kebonang.

Lastly, she bemoaned that the actions and activities of the DIS and Museveni harm, not just the individuals attacked but seriously damage Botswana’s national interests and security while undermining the very mandate the DIS was created through statute to safeguard.