Botswana’s president Festus Mogae sends troops to the Kalahari Desert to destroy wells and empty water sources of indigenous Khoisan (also known as Bushmen), ostensibly in an effort to remove them from their ancestral lands and assimilate them into modern society. Critics blame the government of taking away water rights in favor of mining interests and labeled the government’s actions a “siege”; Botswana is condemned by international observers. Against expectations, a band of Bushmen retreat into the desert and survive for years with little outside assistance.
