SubSaharan Africa 491
South African forces were also killed in the attacks on 12 separate targets. Lesotho,
an independent black state, was completely surrounded by the white-minority-ruled
South Africa and was almost completely dependent on South Africa economically.
Another attack took place on March 26, 1983, when South African forces attacked
paramilitary barracks near the southern Lesotho border. The paramilitary forces were
able to successfully deter the South African forces from blowing up a power plant,
however. South African forces also attacked a church with grenades in northern Leso-
tho. Lesotho asked the United Nations, the UN Security Council, the Organization
of African Unity, the United States, and Great Britain to put diplomatic pressure on
South Africa to end its aggressive pursuit of rebels in its country.
Coding changes: End Date changed from March 27, 1983. Fatalities changed from
None.
MID#4162
Dispute Number: 4162
Date(s): September 7, 1994 to September 14, 1994
Participants: 560 South Africa/570 Lesotho
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side B (Imposed)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Lesotho’s King Letsie III, who was backed by the military, ousted Prime
Minister Ntsu Mokhele on August 17, 1994, and removed Lesotho’s democratically
elected government. At the end of August, the president of South Africa along with
the presidents of Zimbabwe and Botswana urged the reinstatement of the prime min-
ister. The presidents gave Letsie a week to resolve the leadership problem in Lesotho
and to report back a solution. South Africa then sent a foreign affairs official to help
facilitate discussions between Letsie and Mokhele in the first week of September and
found that they would need more time to resolve the issue. Additional talks stumbled
on September 7, when the two sides could not agree on how Mokhele would return
to power. Two days later South African jet fighters flew over Royal Lesotho Defense
Base in a show of force against Letsie, and South African troops went through military
exercises on the border. The Lesotho government responded by fortifying its border,
but supporters of Mokhele went on general strike, which effectively shut down the
entire country. On September 14, a deal was struck that agreed Mokhele’s government
would be immediately restored to power and King Moshoeshoe, King Letsie’s father,
would be reinstated as King of Lesotho.
MID#4237
Dispute Number: 4237
Date(s): December 16, 1994
Participants: 570 Lesotho/560 South Africa
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Lesotho reinforced its border to stop cattle rustling. Lesotho accused
South African soldiers of aiding farmers in the cattle thefts.