Renegade Lesotho General Seizes Weapons – Report

Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli (Photo source: Flikr/Africa Centre for Strategic Studies)

A renegade general believed to have been the mastermind of last week’s attempted coup attempt in Lesotho has reportedly seized army weapons in preparation for a possible stand-off, according to media reports monitored here Saturday. Quoting a top military commander, AFP said Tlali Kamoli, who has refused to step down as the commander of the Lesotho Defence Forces, reportedly seized the weapons from state armouries.

“He has refused to vacate offices and depleted armouries,” Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao told the news agency, adding the material was being used to prepare for “defensive and offensive” operations.

Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli (Photo source: Public Eye Online)

Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane asked Kamoli to relinquish his command a week ago, a development that triggered military attacks on several police stations and forced the premier to flee to South Africa.

Intelligence sources say Kamoli has control of Lesotho’s elite Special Forces unit of around 40 highly-trained troops, as well as the military’s intelligence division.

It would be recalled that some days ago, the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) released a press statement that stated that the SADC Troika together with the chairpersons of SADC had appealed to Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli to patrol around “important places” to ensure safety and security during this interval where police officers were not on duty.

It has since been confirmed that SADC did not associate itself with the press release in any way. Speaking to Public Eye Online, the Security Director of SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, Tanki Mothae said that all statements by the SADC office are either published on the SADC website or released through the executive secretary of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.

“Statements that are released by SADC are only communicated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Home Affairs in that country, this press release was not in any way associated with SADC ” he said.

Asked about the uncertainty surrounding the post of LDF Commander, whether Lt-General Tlali Kamoli still held the seat or had been preceded by Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao as a government gazette- legal notice number 64 of 2014-  published on Friday 29th August had stated, he said “I am  not in a position to speak about this but from my understanding, the appointment of Brig. Maaparankoe Mahao to LDF Commander was made by His majesty King Letsie III under the advice of PM Tom Thabane and that cannot be questioned” he explained.