State crisis in Lesotho 2014

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Lesotho (red) surrounded by the Republic of South Africa
The then Prime Minister Thomas "Tom" Thabane (ABC)
The then Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing (LCD)

The state crisis in Lesotho in 2014 was a conflict between the three parties of the coalition government formed in 2012, the military and the police in the state of Lesotho in southern Africa . The crisis broke out in June; its effects determine political events in Lesotho to this day. The events of August 30, 2014 were sometimes referred to as a coup or "attempted coup". After long negotiations under the leadership of the South African politician Cyril Ramaphosa , it was decided in October 2014 to bring the parliamentary elections that were due in 2017 forward to February 2015 .

prehistory

In the 2012 elections , no party was an absolute majority win of the seats. As a result, a coalition of All Basotho Convention (ABC), Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and Basotho National Party (BNP) was formed, which had a majority in the National Assembly . The largest party, Democratic Congress (DC), remained in opposition. Thomas "Tom" Thabane (ABC) became Prime Minister and Mothetjoa Metsing (LCD) his deputy. Thesele 'Maseribane, as chairman of the BNP, became Minister for Equality, Youth and Sport. It was the first coalition government in Lesotho's history, but it was fraught with many conflicts. The junior partner LCD threatened several times with a vote of no confidence .

procedure

Suspension of the National Assembly and replacement of the army chief

In 2014, criticism of Thabane grew in the LCD. He was accused of governing without consulting the coalition partners. The LCD then turned to the DC under the former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili and planned a vote of no confidence.

In mid-June 2014, Thabane suspended with the approval of King Letsie III. the National Assembly for a period of nine months. Shortly thereafter, the South African government warned the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) of a coup d'état. On June 27, it was reported that police chief, Commissioner of Police Khothatso Tšooana, had been forced by LDF soldiers to attend a meeting with Thabane without his usual bodyguards. At the end of July, the three chairmen of the coalition parties met with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Stergomena Tax , in Windhoek . On July 30th they signed the Windhoek Agreement, in which Thabane promised to reopen the National Assembly and Metsing revoked his turn to DC.

A reopening of parliament planned for mid-August did not take place. The LCD then planned a large-scale demonstration in the capital Maseru against the continued closure of parliament for September 1st . On August 29, 2014, Thabane released with the consent of Letsie III. the commander of the LDF, Lieutenant General Kennedy Tlali Kamoli , and replaced him by Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao . Kamoli, however, remained at his post.

Military intervention and flight of several officials

In the early morning of August 30, the army occupied several government buildings and the headquarters of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) in Maseru . In a shootout between soldiers and police officers, one police officer was dead and nine were injured. Almost all radio stations were switched off for several hours and the telephone network was shut down. Thabane's residence was surrounded by soldiers. However, he had previously been able to move to neighboring South Africa . It has been speculated that Thabane was helped in his escape by South African soldiers belonging to a special unit in Phalaborwa . However, the South African army denied this. Thabane accused Metsing of masterminding and spoke of a coup, while the LDF spokesman denied it. The army spokesman justified the occupation of the police headquarters and other police stations by pointing out that the police wanted to distribute weapons to supporters of the ABC at the planned demonstration. Police chief Tšooana stated that the soldiers had searched - in vain - for the investigation files of corruption proceedings against Metsing and Kamoli.

BNP chairman 'Maseribane also reported being wanted by the LDF to be forcibly brought to the king along with Thabane. He too fled to South Africa, as did Lieutenant General Mahao, on whose house soldiers attacked on August 31.

Negotiations in South Africa and return to Lesotho

Mothetjoa Metsing took over government on August 31st. On the same day he went to the South African capital Pretoria for talks . The South African President Jacob Zuma , as the head of government of the Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation , had invited to the SADC after three SADC foreign ministers from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia had met there beforehand . In addition to Zuma, Tax and Metsing, Thabane and 'Maseribane also took part in the talks, which lasted September 1st. Metsing was represented as incumbent head of government in Maseru by his party colleague Motloheloa Phooko.

Several representatives of states and organizations called for a return to a constitutional order, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and representatives from the United States , the African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations . In particular, the military was warned to take power and a return to democracy was called for. South Africa and other states in the region rejected an invasion of troops requested by Thabane, but announced that they would be sending an observer mission. The demonstration planned for September 1 has been canceled. The army disarmed more police officers on September 1. Numerous police officers fled to South Africa.

The result of the negotiations in Pretoria, which were broken off several times without result, was finally a schedule for the reopening of parliament, which was to take place on September 19. Thabane's return to Lesotho was scheduled for September 2nd but has been postponed. On September 3rd, accompanied by heavily armed South African police officers, he reached Lesotho, where he was still guarded by the South African Police (SAPS) at his official residence. Mahao returned that same day with the help of the SAPS and was expecting to take office as army chief. Police chief Khothatso Tšooana also returned from South Africa and called on the LMPS to resume its work. Meanwhile, the deposed LDF commander Kamoli apparently collected numerous weapons. Sections of the army, including the Special Forces, remained loyal to him. According to press reports, he was in hiding and had around 200 soldiers under his command. On September 7th, Pope Francis prayed for peace in Lesotho after his Sunday Angelus prayer .

Further negotiations and continuation of the conflict

Thabane now refused to open parliament on the agreed date, as long as the issue of army leadership was not resolved. On September 9, Jacob Zuma visited Lesotho and spoke to the king and several key politicians from the coalition and opposition to prevent a possible escalation. Within two days, the negotiating partners in Lesotho should now draw up a plan according to which the National Assembly would reopen. Meanwhile, Kamoli was seen meeting in Maseru. He said he had no weapons in store.

After Thabane had not given a date for the reopening of parliament by September 12, the incumbent SADC chairman and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe scheduled a SADC summit in Pretoria for September 17. However, a summit took place in Pretoria on September 15th with the participation of Zuma, Mugabe, the Botswana President Ian Seretse Khama , Thabanes, Metsings and representatives of Malawi , Namibia and Tanzania . On September 16, South Africa's Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane announced that, at the request of SADC, the parliamentary elections planned for 2017 would be brought forward. The SADC decided to send an observer commission under the then South African Vice-President Cyril Ramaphosa to stay in the country for three months. Ramaphosa first visited Lesotho on September 18. Meanwhile, on September 19, there was a lengthy exchange of fire between police officers and soldiers who were in front of the house of police commander Tšooana.

Two journalists from the Lesotho Times reported in detail on September 19 that the police were investigating high treason and murder against the renegades. The journalists were arrested the following day and charged with defamation .

On September 19, 2014, Namibia sent 39 police officers to Lesotho. The police were part of the monitoring committee that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided to stay in the country for three months.

The South African Vice President Ramaphosa traveled to Lesotho again on September 22, 2014 in his capacity as head of the SADC Observer Commission to hold mediation talks with the conflicting parties. The central theme for talks with Prime Minister Thabane was the reopening of parliament. At another meeting in Lesotho with parliamentarians, they reported an ultimatum to Prime Minister Thabane, signed by 73 of the 120 MPs, calling for parliament to reopen on September 26th. Otherwise, mass rallies were threatened.

After his return from Lesotho, mediator Ramaphosa reported that, in addition to reopening parliament and stabilizing the security situation, holding elections as soon as possible was one of the greatest challenges in resolving the conflict.

Shortly afterwards, the media published a travel warning from the US State Department for Lesotho.

On September 30, 2014, SADC negotiator Ramaphosa traveled to Lesotho for further mediation talks. On the same day it became known that the police were investigating at least two supporters of the coup attempt in their own ranks. Also on September 30, there was another exchange of fire between soldiers and police in Maseru, in which two police officers were wounded.

Proclamation and implementation of the Maseru Facilitation Declaration

On October 2, 2014, mediator Ramaphosa announced that the leadership of the coalition government and the largest opposition party, DC , had agreed on early elections in February 2015 . The arrangement was referred to as the Maseru Facilitation Declaration (for example, " Maseru's declaration of moderation"). The reopening of the National Assembly was agreed for October 17th, but no vote of no confidence could be passed until the new election. Parliament was dissolved at the beginning of December 2014. The security forces were asked not to interfere in politics. Foreign police forces should remain in the country until after the election.

On October 17, the National Assembly reopened in accordance with the negotiated agreement. Opposition MPs danced and sang in the parliament hall after the king and Thabane left the hall. The usual military parade for the opening of parliament was canceled. On October 23 - also after mediation by Ramaphosa - Kamoli, Mahao and Tšooana signed the Maseru Security Accord, a security agreement intended to improve relations within the security forces. Kamoli, Mahao and Tšooana agreed to hand over their posts to the deputy army and police officers until after the election and to pay working visits to colleagues in SADC and Commonwealth countries during this time . However, Kamoli violated the requirements several times. On November 11, it became known that West African armed mercenaries had invaded Lesotho, whereupon the police protection for the politicians in Maseru was increased. On November 21, Kamoli, Mahao and Tšooana left Lesotho. In December, the election date was set for February 28, 2015. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Mun expressed satisfaction with the peace process.

In mid-January, contrary to the agreement, Tšooana returned from Algeria at Thabane's request . He was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa and sent back to Algeria. Ramaphosa threatened a withdrawal of the South African security forces from Lesotho.

aftermath

In the 2015 elections , DC and LCD lost votes, while ABC and BNP recorded strong votes. Due to the coalition of DC with LCD and several small parties, however, ex-Prime Minister Mosisili got his office back. From then on, Mosisili and Metsing planned to return Kamoli as commanders of the LDF. It has been suggested that several corruption trials against members of the DC and LDF would be dropped under the new government. These were actually not continued.

On May 22, 2015, Kamoli was officially reinstated as commander of the LDF with retroactive effect from August 30, 2014. As a result, Thabane, 'Maseribane and Keketso Rantšo from the Reformed Congress of Lesotho fled to South Africa again, especially since the government wanted them to be guarded by soldiers and not police officers. Mahao was shot dead by soldiers on June 25th. The leaders of the three opposition parties asked for political asylum in South Africa. The SADC called another emergency meeting in early July 2015. The subsequently formed Phumaphi Commission demanded, among other things, an investigation into the murder of Mahao and the impeachment of Kamoli. He only lost his position as army chief at the end of 2016. As a result, the opposition leaders returned to Lesotho. In the 2017 elections , Thabane won, who was subsequently elected Prime Minister and again formed a coalition government.

In early October 2017, three soldiers were charged with the death of the police officer on August 30, 2014. Kamoli was arrested a few days later and charged, among other things, with the murder of the policeman who was killed on August 30, 2014.

In June 2018, it became known that the public prosecutor's office wanted to bring charges of high treason against three ministers of the coalition government and 15 soldiers from the LDF in connection with the attempted coup . In the same month, former South African Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang replaced Moseneke Ramaphosa as head of the SADC mediation team.

Selibe Mochoboroane and Mothetjoa Metsing were indicted in February 2020 in connection with the attempted coup in 2014, alongside Kamoli and other military officials, for high treason.

background

According to observers, the army - under Kamoli - sided with Metsing's LCD and the DC, while the police were loyal to Thabane's ABC. Jacob Zuma was considered a supporter of Thabane, his vice-president Ramaphosa as a friend of Mothetjoa. The role of South Africa was explained by the fact that the Thabane government, unlike the Mosisili government of South Africa, required a purchase obligation for electricity from a 1200 kW hydropower plant to be built , which is to be built as part of the Lesotho Highland Water Project .

Web links

Individual evidence

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