VZCZCXRO3206
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0365/01 1731318
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221318Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3087
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 3459

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000365 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA, DS/DSS/OSAC, S/CT, D, P, M, INR, CA, AF/S; 
GABORONE FOR RSO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM ASEC CASC LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO JUNE 22 SITREP: A CALM BUT UNCERTAIN CURFEW 
 
REF: A) MASERU 359 AND PREVIOUS; B) MASERU 355 AND PREVIOUS ; C) 2006 MASERU 560 AND 525 
 
MASERU 00000365  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 22, Maseru remained perfectly calm one 
week after implementation of a curfew implemented to end attacks 
on senior political and government figures.  The security 
situation, however, remains unpredictable.  There are no signs 
the Lesotho police have made progress in identifying the 
perpetrators or in retrieving weapons seized during the attacks. 
 The curfew remains in effect until further notice.  Although 
the GOL remains silent on the situation, on June 21 the Lesotho 
Defense Forces and the country's largest NGO coalition each made 
statements, reflecting confidence in handling the situation and 
growing frustration with the curfew, respectively.  Hopes are 
high that the return on June 25 of former President of Botswana 
Masire to commence a SADC-mediated political dialogue will help 
return the country to normal.  The local population is also 
hopeful that taxi associations and labor unions will not strike, 
action that would once again paralyze the Maseru economy.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------ 
Amid Relative Calm, LDF 
and LCN Issue Statements 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) One week after the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) 
announced a curfew in response to violent attacks on senior 
government and political leader residences, Maseru is calm and 
the GOL is functioning normally.  The 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. 
curfew remains in effect until further notice.  The LMPS has 
given no indication of any progress achieved in identifying the 
perpetrators of the original attacks (June 10 and 14) or attacks 
subsequent to implementation of the curfew on military and 
security personnel, or in retrieving weapons and communication 
equipment seized during these attacks.  Post continues to 
receive sporadic reports of abuses of civilians by police and 
military officials at checkpoints during curfew hours. 
Nonetheless, other than occasional reports of reckless shooting 
by undisciplined or drunken soldiers, there were no reports of 
attacks or serious security incidents during the period June 
18-22. 
 
¶3. (U) On June 21, the Lesotho Defense Forces (LDF) Public 
Affairs Office issued a press release regarding the ongoing 
situation.  The statement reads as follows: 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
The Lesotho Defense Forces Public Affairs Office (LDF PAO) 
hereby informs the nation that following last week's attacks on 
the LDF personnel on duty at the Honorable Ministers' homes and 
at one LDF vehicle checkpoint in Maseru, the Army and the Police 
have since embarked on massive operations aimed to track down 
the perpetrators of these heinous criminal activities and 
discover weapons stolen in these attacks. 
 
It has come to the attention of the LDF Command that these 
criminals are heavily armed with automatic rifles and roam 
around disguised in LDF, Lesotho Mounted Police Service, South 
African Police Service, or private security companies' uniforms. 
 It has also been discovered that these criminals intention is 
to bring about confusion to both Police and Army operatives on 
the ground, and commit criminal activities calculated to hold 
the nation in the grip of fear by means of torture and 
hijackings of essential services, Government and state security 
services vehicles on duty. 
 
Process has since been made in ongoing investigations, and with 
the use of information furnished by peace loving citizens, the 
Army is on the right track in its quest to hunt down the 
attackers.  While it is clear that these criminals have declared 
war on all state security services, the LDF Command therefore 
appeals for the continued support of all volunteers to provide 
much needed information that will help the LDF to get to the 
bottom of these attacks. 
 
(sic) END TEXT. 
 
¶4. (U) Also on June 21, the Democracy and Human Rights 
Commission of the Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN) released a 
statement on the curfew situation.  LCN is a highly regarded 
umbrella organization of NGOs operating in Lesotho.  The 
statement noted that various stakeholders in the country have 
serious concerns regarding the conduct of security personnel on 
duty during curfew hours.  According to the statement, "The 
prevailing harassment and violation of human rights will ruin 
the credibility of Lesotho's human rights record in the region 
and internationally...  The Democracy and Human Rights 
Commission regrets the failure of government to issue any 
communication on the issue of the curfew." 
 
MASERU 00000365  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
------------------ 
The Harvest Factor 
------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) On June 22, private radio station Harvest FM broadcast a 
report that it had received a letter allegedly from renegade 
members of the LDF.  In the letter, the authors stated that they 
would "not be governed by a foreigner," a reference to a recent 
controversy concerning Prime Minister Mosisili's possession of a 
South African ID card.  The letter also accused PM Mosisili of 
corruption, citing interest free loans for cabinet members and 
parliamentarians and the highly criticized acquisition in 2006 
by ministers and other senior officials of new Mercedes Benz 
sedans for only $500 (ref C). 
 
¶6. (U) Following a call berating the radio presenter for reading 
the letter, another caller who referred to himself as "Khanyapa" 
(English translation: Anaconda) claimed to be an anti-GOL 
renegade soldier.  He commended the presenter for reading the 
letter and stated that his group would "continue its plan." 
Shortly thereafter, the station announced that the LMPS had 
detained the radio presenter for questioning. 
 
----------------------------------- 
A Tense Calm Amid Public Statements 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT:  At week's end Maseru remained perfectly calm, 
although the unpredictability of the security situation and 
uncertainties related to the curfew remain.  The LCN statement 
on the curfew reflected generally negative public opinion with 
the GOL's handling of the situation and growing impatience with 
the curfew.  The LDF's statement demonstrated confidence in 
handling the security deterioration, but notably made no mention 
of coordination with the Lesotho police, allegations of 
complicity by active or retired military personnel in the 
violence, or of the June 14 attack on the leader of the 
opposition.  Hopes are high that developments next week will 
help return the city to normal, including the return on June 25 
of former President of Botswana Masire to commence a 
SADC-mediated dialogue aimed at resolving a political impasse 
between the GOL and the opposition.  The local population is 
also hopeful that taxi associations and labor unions will not 
strike, action that would once again paralyze the Maseru economy 
(ref A).  END COMMENT. 
MURPHY