Military coup under way in Lesotho

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Military units in Lesotho have surrounded government and police buildings and gunfire has been heard in the small mountainous southern African kingdom.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from South Africa, where he had travelled to on Friday, Prime Minister Tom Thabane said that the army had taken over government buildings and he planned to try to return to the country.

The military seized control of the tiny police headquarters and jammed radio stations and phones in the early hours on Saturday, a government minister and member of the ruling coalition told the AFP news agency.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/08/lesotho-military-attempted-coup-201483071742178598.html

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1. Lesotho Leaders Plan Talks in South Africa After Coup Attempt

Lesotho’s political leaders were summoned by South African President Jacob Zuma for emergency talks after the military in the landlocked kingdom carried out an attempted coup.

Deputy President Mothetjoa Metsing left Lesotho today for talks with Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and Zuma, Foreign Affairs Minister Mohlabi Tsekoa told reporters today in the capital, Maseru. Zuma is head of the Southern African Development Community’s defense, politics and security council.

Thabane yesterday said the army tried to overthrow him, while the southern African country’s military claimed it disarmed police officers who threatened to destabilize the nation. Lesotho has been run by a three-party coalition government since elections two years ago. In June, Thabane suspended parliament through February, even as the other coalition partners said they didn’t sanction such a move.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-08-31/lesotho-should-decide-on-future-post-coup-s-dot-africa-s-zuma-says