Lesotho military �cooked up� intelligence information to justify coup d� etat

Correspondent | Friday September 5, 2014 14:08

The Kingdom of Lesotho was represented by Methetjoa Metsing, the deputy prime minister. Clad in a blue traditional Sesotho blanket known as seanamarena in his colloquial, he spoke in his soft, affirming voice to the grief stricken crowds about how he knew the late Motswaledi. After the funeral we both settled down in the same tent and I was glad to be rubbing shoulders with political heavy weights like him. I jokingly asked him a question in Sesotho saying, “a kae masole a ha Leabua?”(where are Leabua’s loyal soldiers?) He laughed his lungs out and asked if I knew about them. I told him the reason why Botswana had so many of Basotho refugees in the 70s and 80s was because they were agitated by soldiers loyal to Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan. Interestingly, all those accompanying Metsing, including his Ade Camp (ADC) and personal assistant, did not take any interest in our conversation because they came from another era and a different generation.

Little did Metsing know that in a matter of three weeks he would be a refugee himself in neighbouring South Africa, running away from the same military we were discussing. Lesotho is one country in southern Africa that has been very prone to coups since achieving independence from the British in 1966. The last time they were at this was in 1996, which ultimately cost lives on both side as South African troops attempted to bring in a military solution to the problem. Botswana sent in a contingent of troops but came back without any casualties. SADC, as the regional body on politics and economic affairs, sent in a very strong warning that they would not tolerate such actions of unconstitutional change of government anywhere in the region. It seems the message was clear as it has taken a solid eighteen years before this current coup.

Power is sweet and it seems Lesotho’s military is not exempt from this medieval craving. After such a long break from power, the military has at long last decided to ‘cook up’ some intelligence information to fully justify their actions, which they deny it does not fall within the mould of a coup d’ etat. The justification lies on the information that the military has banded around regarding some intelligence information they had received. According to sources within the Lesotho Defence Force, the police were preparing to arm UTTA, a youth militia with government ties. In their latest defence, the LDF has accused this youth militia of planning to use police acquired weapons to disrupt a peaceful march planned for Monday September 1, 2014.

Therefore, the military took this intelligence information to inform them into taking a preventative action against what they perceived as a terrorist action by the militia youths. In their argument, their action was a necessary anti-terrorism operation meant to protect national interests at stake. But South Africa does not buy any of these reasons and they have referred to these actions by the LDF as “actions bearing the hallmarks of a coup d’ etat”.

At the moment, it is the LDF that is in charge of the country, regardless of the presence of the monarchy which only plays a ceremonial role. When going through the annuls of history, we come to realise that intelligence information can more often be ‘cooked up’ to suit the interests of the generals and the rulers that be. It started in the late 1930s when Hitler’s Germany fermented intelligence information accusing the Polish of a raid on one of their radio stations. And indeed Poland was never exonerated as the world watched while Germany invaded and occupied that country. Little did Winston Churchill and the rest of the world know that the stage was being set for the commencement of World War II as they turned a blind eye to these actions. The cost of ending this war would later proove to be very enormous both in blood and treasure.

As a former infantry officer, I am well aware of the fact that there is no single military operation that goes on without being informed by intelligence. That is how critical intelligence information is to the military. If you get it wrong at that stage, it can get awfully wrong. At the start of Operation Desert Storm, an American lead invasion of Iraq in 1991, Saddam Husain had marshalled thousands of dummy military equipment which formed endless columns, particularly around Bagdad. Because intelligence information always has to be followed by further consistent intelligence information, it soon occurred to intelligence officers that the burning wreckages were not consistent with actual tank columns when they are hit with high explosive weapons. And the operation took a swift turn at this junction and Saddam’s forces were soon defeated.

Allow me to discuss the “100 hours ground invasion” of Iraq. According to intelligence sources, all of Saddam’s significant weaponry would have been completely destroyed or permanently disabled at the end of the 100 hours and Saddam would no longer hold the means to threaten his neighbours any longer. Intelligence had warned the commanders of the unintended consequences if Bagdad was captured after deposing Saddam from his position. They warned of the catastrophic results of unleashing a sectarian conflict between the Suni and Shia that would cost many lives. When I was studying at one of the United States Army institutions in 1993, in a facility that housed intelligence and signal units among others, this was the view of the military which was informed by credible intelligence information.

Ten years later, the Bush administration disregarded this critical intelligence information and went ahead to invade Iraq and occupy it for ten years with catastrophic consequences. At the time of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the military commanders still held the same views which were consistent with their military’s doctrine. The doctrine, which is very much informed by intelligence, did not allow for the invasion of any country with a long history of dictatorship because when the dictator falls, it would become difficult to fill in the vacuum and the country would often cascade into chaos.

Regardless of this critical information, General Powell allowed himself to be made ‘chief cook’ of intelligence information which would justify the invasion of Iraq. This was an action which many in the world community detested as fewer countries went in to be part of that operation regardless of the pending threat by President Bush of “you are either with us or with them”. The United Nations was convinced by this fake intelligence information and Iraq got invaded. And since then, the world as we knew it changed. It is Russia now that can annex Crimea at will and cause an insurgency in neighbouring Ukraine, all this with ‘cooked up’ intelligence information. And it seems all that the rest of the world can do is just watch as thousands are slaughtered.

*Richard Moleofe is a Retired Military Officer