Lesotho's election outrage
Oliver Martin

In the last week of September, the South African government received an urgent request for help form the tiny country of Lesotho. Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili feared a coup, and requested the assistance of his much larger neighbour, South Africa.

South Africa immediately sent troops to the land-locked Lesotho, resulting in the first external armed intervention since the new Mandela government took control in 1994.

South African officials were initially quick to intervene, believing their pre-emptive action would result in positive results. With a successful coup in Lesotho, South Africa would not only have to deal with the violence, but a huge migration of refugees fleeing the trouble.

James Higgs, director of South Africa's Institute for International Affairs, said by helping to boost the support of Mosisili, "They thought they were moving in before they had a big refugee problem, an exodus that South Africa would have to deal with."

Government officials planned a quick and easy military operation to end the political turmoil. Or so they thought.

Almost as soon as the 600 South African soldiers entered Lesotho, the problems began. The first mistake the South African government made was turning a blind eye to the root of the political problems in Lesotho.

Originally, Mosisili asked South Africa to protect the, "legitimate government," in which he had lost control. His was not widely believed to be the legitimate government, and politicians in Pretoria knew this.

The national elections in May saw Mosisili's party, the Lesotho Congress for Democracy, win 79 of 80 parliamentary seats. Opposition parties cried foul, and demanded a fresh ballot. An inquiry by a South African judge found some irregularities and concluded last month the opposition had probably won two seats, not one.

Angry and frustrated, some of the looters attacked government cars and buildings. Following this, Lesotho's junior army officers mutinied against their government-appointed commanders and chaos ensued.

This is where the second mistake occurred. Military analysts grossly miscalculated the resistance South Africa would face from Lesotho's 2,000 soldiers. Commanders in Pretoria ordered the 600 South African soldiers in armoured vehicles not to use any weapons that would destroy property.

The Lesotho soldiers fortified their positions in barracks and large homes and ambushed the South African troops with small arms fire. Following their very restrictive rules of engagement, the far better equipped and trained South African troops were hampered. On the first day of the intervention, 30 people were reported killed, including nine South African soldiers.

In the capital city of Maseru, civilians took to the streets to protest the intervention. Mobs destroyed stores in rage, turning buildings into rubble. Lootings were widespread, as well as fires and property damage. The anger against South Africa was so strong that white foreigners, assumed to be South African nationals, were stoned and car-jacked.

Only on September 24th, three days later, did some order come to Maseru. Additional South African troops were dispatched along with 200 Botswanian troops. However, nothing was left standing in the capital.

The political struggles which led to the invasion in the first place, also had no visible end in sight. Army rebels fled into the interior of the mountainous nation, pushing for a guerilla fight. This raised the question of a long-term presence of South African troops in Lesotho, to act as a stabilizing-occupation force.

Prior to the military intervention, Lesotho had one of the fastest growing economies in Africa; now it is ruined.

With many of the destroyed businesses owned by South African companies, it clearly pointed to the increased financial burden placed on South Africa to rebuild Lesotho. Nearly all of the country's Asian business people have fled, frightening away foreign investors.

King Letsie III, who was supposed to have gone to China in early October, to drum up goodwill and investment, had to cancel his visit. Instead, Asia was treated to television pictures of business people fleeing across the border with their families.

South Africa is now trying to organize negotiations between the main political parties, but the country's impartiality is in question. It will prove very difficult for South Africa to remove itself from the mess Lesotho is now in. Although a ceasefire reigns in the country, violence is likely to flare up as soon as the rebels convene again.