THE cost of Botswana’s peacekeeping operation in Lesotho was 4,2-million pula (R5,5-million) by the end of November, a Botswana Defence Force spokesperson said on Monday. Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Molefe said Botswana would foot the bill. There was still no date for the withdrawal of the country’s troops, sent to Lesotho in September last year as part of the Southern African Development Community intervention force to quell post-election violence and suspected coup plot.