GABORONE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Duma Boko, president of Botswana, on Tuesday encouraged people to embrace unity and cooperation to safeguard and foster peace and harmony in the world.

Boko made the remarks in a national address, broadcast live on Botswana Television to mark the 59th anniversary of Independence Day, calling on citizens of the southern African country to be patriotic, reflective, and forward-looking.

The African continent will only experience peace, tranquility, and development through unity, he noted.

"We are stronger when we are united and working in unison," said Boko, adding that the supremacy behind the essence of working together was witnessed when the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) won the election of the National Assembly held on Oct. 30 last year.

With Boko as the coalition's president, the UDC, comprising the Botswana National Front, the Botswana People's Party, and the Alliance for Progressives, defeated the Botswana Democratic Party, which had ruled the country since its independence on Sept. 30, 1966.

On Monday, Boko launched four news bulletins in indigenous languages on state-owned broadcasting platforms to promote aboriginal vernaculars, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging all cultures and languages within the country. ■