International
Lesotho Prime Minister accuses army of attempting coup
Lesotho Prime Minister accuses army of attempting coup
Reuters/AFP/Johannesburg
Lesotho's military seized control of the tiny African kingdom's police headquarters and jammed radio stations and phones in the early hours Saturday, a government minister and member of the ruling coalition told AFP.
Prime Minister Thomas Thabane on Saturday accused the country's army of attempting a coup against him, he told South African ENCA television station. "It is a military coup because it is led by the military. And the military are outside the instructions of the commander in chief, who is myself," he said by telephone. He added that he would meet South African leaders, representing the regional Southern African Development Community later on Saturday.
But the armed forces denied attempting a coup, saying they had moved against police elements suspected of planning to arm a political faction, an army spokesman said. "The situation has returned to normalcy ... the military has returned to their barracks," Major Ntlele Ntoi told Reuters. He added the Lesotho defence force "supports the democratically elected government of the day."
"The armed forces, the special forces of Lesotho, have taken the headquarters of the police," sports minister and leader of the Basotho National Party Thesele Maseribane said, describing a possible coup attempt in the small nation located in eastern South Africa.
"At four o'clock this mo