Southern African Development Community intervention in Lesotho

Southern African Development Community intervention in Lesotho

The 1998 military intervention in Lesotho, codenamed Operation Boleas, was a military invasion launched in the name of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and led by South Africa through its South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Troops from Botsawana were supposed to join SANDF forces when they crossed the border to quell a suspected coup d'état. However, the Botswana contingent lost its way and only SANDF troops entered the landlocked kingdom of Lesotho. This led, after an incident at the Katse dam to rioting in the Lesotho capital, Maseru, initially directed at South African-owned businesses. But this soon spread and much of the centre of Maseru was severely damaged with shops and hotels looted and burned.

Trouble began in March 1998 when parliamentary elections in Lesotho resulted in an overwhelming majority for the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy Party, which won 79 out of 80 seats. However allegations of vote fraud soon surfaced, and after a failed lawsuit by the opposition parties, widespread rioting broke out and there was talk in August and September of a possible coup by Lesotho's small army.

In September while President Nelson Mandela of South Africa was out of the country, Inkatha Freedom Party leader and then home affairs minister in the African National Congress-led government, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, acted in his place. It was he who took responsibility for ordering SANDF troops to lead a SADC "intervention" into Lesotho and some 700 South African troops enterred Lesotho on September 22. Mandela subsequently endorsed the decision and the invasion. South Africa was particularly keen to ensure control of the Katse dam in the Maluti mountains above Maseru and which provides much of the water for South Africa's major industrial region of the Witwatersrand.

Looting and arson erupted, and it took several years to rebuild Maseru's town centre. SADC troops were pulled out in May 1999.

See also

External links

v · Nelson Mandela
Life Nelson Mandela
Politics
Books
Long Walk to Freedom  · Mandela: The Authorised Biography
Family
Filmography
Goodbye Bafana (2007) · Mandela and De Klerk (2008) · Invictus (2009)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • South African intervention in Lesotho — The South African National Defence Force Invasion of Lesotho, codenamed Operation Boleas, was a military invasion launched by Southern African Development Community (SADC), and led by South Africa into Lesotho to quell a suspected coup d état.In… …   Wikipedia

  • African Union — الاتحاد الأفريقي (Arabic) …   Wikipedia

  • Lesotho — /leuh sooh tooh, soh toh/, n. a monarchy in S Africa: formerly a British protectorate; gained independence 1966; member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 2,007,814; 11,716 sq. mi. (30,344 sq. km). Cap.: Maseru. Formerly, Basutoland. * * * Lesotho… …   Universalium

  • Lesotho — Kingdom of Lesotho Muso oa Lesotho …   Wikipedia

  • Lesotho — <p></p> <p></p> Introduction ::Lesotho <p></p> Background: <p></p> Basutoland was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho upon independence from the UK in 1966. The Basuto National Party ruled the country… …   The World Factbook

  • Southern Africa — Introduction       southernmost region of the African continent, comprising the countries of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The island nation of Madagascar is excluded… …   Universalium

  • Operación Boleas — Operación Bolea Fecha Septiembre de 1998 Lugar Lesoto Resultado Victoria del gobierno Beligeran …   Wikipedia Español

  • African nationalism — is the nationalist political movement for one unified Africa, or the less significant objective of the acknowledgment of African tribes by instituting their own states, as well as the safeguarding of their indigenous customs. Establishments which …   Wikipedia

  • Organisation of African Unity — Organization of African Unity Organization de l Unité Africaine International organization 1963–2002 …   Wikipedia

  • South Africa — Republic of, a country in S Africa; member of the Commonwealth of Nations until 1961. 42,327,458; 472,000 sq. mi. (1,222,480 sq. km). Capitals: Pretoria and Cape Town. Formerly, Union of South Africa. * * * South Africa Introduction South Africa… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”