{"id":44449,"date":"2014-09-03T12:27:20","date_gmt":"2014-09-03T12:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=44449"},"modified":"2014-09-03T12:27:20","modified_gmt":"2014-09-03T12:27:20","slug":"lesotho-pm-thabane-returns-home-after-fleeing-coup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/09\/lesotho-pm-thabane-returns-home-after-fleeing-coup\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesotho PM Thabane returns home after fleeing ‘coup’"},"content":{"rendered":"
Lesotho’s Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has returned home after fleeing the mountain kingdom to neighbouring South Africa on Saturday.<\/p>\n
At the time he said the military had staged a coup – a charge it denied.<\/p>\n
Regional leaders rejected his call for troops to be deployed to restore order.<\/p>\n
The unrest is thought to be linked to a struggle between Mr Thabane, reportedly supported by the police, and Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing, said to have the loyalty of the army.<\/p>\n
Mr Thabane has headed a unity government since elections in May 2012, but suspended parliament sessions in June amid feuding in his coalition.<\/p>\n
Lesotho, which is surrounded by South Africa, has experienced several coups since independence in 1966.<\/p>\n
Audience with the king<\/p>\n
A source in Maseru told the BBC that Mr Thabane and Mr Metsing were escorted into the capital by South African police.<\/p>\n
It is reported by be calm in the city, with business continuing as usual.<\/p>\n
South African police are guarding state house, the prime minister’s official residence, and Mr Metsing’s home, the source said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Thabane and his deputies are due to appear before King Letsie III later to present a report about meetings held on Sunday and Monday in South Africa to resolve the crisis.<\/p>\n
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma held separate talks, under the auspices of the South African Development Community (Sadc) regional bloc, with Mr Tabane and his rivals.<\/p>\n
Conflict broke out on Saturday morning with soldiers involved in an exchange of fire outside two police stations.<\/p>\n
One police officer was killed and four wounded after the military intervened, police say.<\/p>\n
A military spokesman had said the army had received intelligence that the police were going to arm factions ahead of a march by Mr Metsing’s Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lesotho’s Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has returned home after fleeing the mountain kingdom to neighbouring South Africa on Saturday. At the time he said the military had staged a coup – a charge it denied. Regional leaders rejected his call for troops to be deployed to restore order. The unrest is thought to be linked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":44452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[14],"yoast_head":"\n