Lesotho’s army chief has been shot dead by rival soldiers
Khoantle Motsomotso was the commander of the Lesotho Defence Force, and was killed in a shoot-out
Maseru — Lesotho’s army commander was shot dead by rival officers at a military barracks on Tuesday, an official said, in an apparent assassination set to revive instability in the mountainous African kingdom. The SABC reported that some senior Lesotho politicians had fled the country amid fears of a coup. Col Tanki Mothae, the principal secretary for defence forces, confirmed the killing of Khoantle Motsomotso, who was commander of the Lesotho Defence Force, but provided no further details. A news conference was scheduled to be held later in the day. "The commander [Motsomotso] has been declared dead," a military official who declined to be named said, adding that two senior officers behind the attack had also been killed in the shoot-out. The military official said the two senior officers were denied access to Motsomotso’s office by army guards. "They attempted to forcefully enter, there was a shoot-out between the two, their companion who has since fled and the commander’s bodygu...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.