Lesotho Police Abandon Their Positions
Lesotho police have abandoned their positions and stopped wearing their uniforms out of fear of being attacked, said Assistant Police Commissioner Lehloka Maphatsoe on Tuesday.
“Police fear for their lives because we have intelligence that there will be an attack while we are in stations on duty. Police stations will not offer services to the population because of the likelihood of attacks on officers,” he was quoted as saying.
“At the moment, really, there’s nobody protecting the people.”
Maphatsoe apologised to the Lesotho population, and said they “cannot risk the lives of the police officers.”
He said a police training camp was allegedly attacked by the military late on Monday, but this could not immediately be confirmed.
Earlier on Tuesday, exiled Prime MinisterTom Thabane said he was still in Johannesburg, and was unlikely to return to his home country later in the day as planned . This, following reports of gunfire and blackouts across the capital, Maseru, on Monday night.
Gunshots reportedly rang out across the city as large parts of it plunged into darkness amid increasing tensions between the military and police.
On Monday, the South African Development Community (SADC) organ on defence and security, chaired by President Jacob Zuma, and a delegation from the government of Lesotho, released a statement Monday to announce the development of a roadmap for the way forward in that country.
The roadmap includes the opening up of Parliament in Lesotho, which was shut down by Thabane earlier this year after opposition MPs pushed for a vote of no confidence against him.
Thabane fled from the country on Saturday after troops attacked key police installations and surrounded his home. The Lesotho Defence Force had taken over the country’s radio and TV stations, resulting in a total black out in broadcast. The army had also taken over several police stations, including the police headquarters.
photo credit: Novosad via photopin cc
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