The president of Botswana, Ian Khama, a retired army general, stepped down on Saturday after a decade in power and handed power over to his deputy, Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Why it matters: According to Reuters, the new president becomes only the third leader to take charge of the southern African nation outside the Khama political dynasty that has dominated national politics since independence from Britain in 1966.
“Masisi, 55, inherits a country that has for decades been heralded as a beacon of African democracy and sound economic management but faces a huge task of reducing the country’s dependence on diamonds,” the news agency said.
