SADC convenes meeting to address political situation in Lesotho

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Monday convened a meeting of its Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation in Pretoria to address the situation in Lesotho.

The 17th meeting of the MCO kicked off hours before the SADC sends its team of investigators to Lesotho to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of Lesotho's former army commander Maaparankoe Mahao.

The meeting was "a clear demonstration of our collective and unwavering commitment to working towards a region that is peaceful, stable, secure and prosperous," said South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Mait Nkoana-Mashabane, who chaired the meeting.

"We gather here this morning at a time when our region enjoys relative stability with the exception of a few challenges that face three of our sister countries," she said.

The SADC, she said, remains fully engaged in efforts to assist its fellow members.

The Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation is an essential body that is entrusted with the maintenance of peace, stability and security in the region, and also forms an integral part of efforts towards regional integration and development.

Nkoana-Mashabane urged SADC members to "consolidate, defend and maintain democracy, peace, security and stability" in the region.

"Our region can only be successful if there is peace and stability," she said.

The SADC has been mediating a political solution to the Lesotho crisis, particularly after the death of Mahao, who was killed in late June after being sacked by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

Lesotho was forced into an early election in late February following an attempted coup in August last year. Mosisili emerged as the winner in the elections. He fired Mahao after taking office and re-appointed Tlali Kamoli as army chief.

Kamoli had been fired by former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and was behind the attempted coup that forced the country into early elections.

Soon after Kamoli's re-appointment, several soldiers, including body guards of Thabane, were arrested and tortured on allegations that they were conniving with Mahao and former police commissioner Khothatso Tsooana to overthrow the government.

Soon afterwards, Thabane and Basotho National Party leader Thesele Maseribane fled the country, claiming they were tipped about plots to kill them.

This and the death of Mahao forced SADC to conduct a series of meetings in a bid to bring the situation in Lesotho to normalcy. Endit