Lesotho braces for military action as renegade general empties armouries

Lesotho’s army commander said Sunday that military action was now the only option against a general accused of masterminding an attempted coup, and appealed to neighbouring states for assistance. Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao said efforts to negotiate with the renegade general after the coup bid had failed. Tlali Kamoli, who was removed from his post as army chief by Prime Minister Tom Thabane a little over a week ago, has refused to step down. Instead, the military under his command attacked a host of police stations and his successor, Mahao, was the target of an assassination attempt last Thursday.

In the situation we are in it is very difficult to determine the numbers on his side and the numbers on my side until the strategy we are working on starts to take root.

Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao

Mahao called on Kamoli to surrender and negotiate, but said his predecessor seemed bent on military confrontation. The renegade general is said by intelligence sources to have control of Lesotho’s elite special forces unit of around 40 highly trained troops, as well as the military’s intelligence division. He has also depleted Lesotho’s armouries. Mahao said the whole problem had arisen because both Kamoli and his political backers—thought to include Deputy Prime Minister Mothejoa Metsing—faced prosecution for criminal offences.

Africa Lesotho