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Lesotho 'coup': Thomas Thabane wants South Africa troops Lesotho 'coup': Sadc rejects Thabane's troop request
(about 2 hours later)
Lesotho's exiled Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has called on regional leaders to deploy troops to his country to help restore order, his aide says. Regional leaders have rejected calls by Lesotho's exiled Prime Minister Thomas Thabane for the immediate deployment of troops to help restore order in his country, an official has told the BBC.
Mr Thabane fled to South Africa on Saturday after accusing the army of staging a coup, which it denies. Instead, an observer team would be urgently sent to Lesotho, she said.
He has been holding crisis talks with South Africa's President Jacob Zuma and other regional officials in Pretoria. Mr Thabane fled to South Africa on Saturday, claiming the military had staged a coup - a charge it denied.
Lesotho, a mountain kingdom, has experienced several coups since independence in 1966. South Africa's President Jacob Zuma hosted emergency talks with Mr Tabane and others on Monday.
The latest unrest is understood to be linked to a power struggle between Mr Thabane, who is supported by the police, and Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing, who has the loyalty of the army. Lesotho, a mountain kingdom surrounded by South Africa, has experienced several coups since independence in 1966.
On Monday, Mr Thabane's opponents dropped plans to protest in the capital, Maseru, over his decision to suspend parliamentary sessions in June. The latest unrest is understood to be linked to a power struggle between Mr Thabane, reportedly supported by the police, and Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing, said to have the loyalty of the army.
Reports say Maseru is now calm after soldiers were involved in an exchange of fire outside two police stations on Saturday morning. Both of them attended the talks convened by Mr Zuma in Pretoria under the banner of the South African Development Community (Sadc) regional bloc.
The two leaders had agreed to "clear timetables" that would lead to the restoration of parliament, according to a statement by Sadc.
Its restoration was a key demand of Mr Metsing.
'Exchange of fire'
Earlier on Monday, his supporters abandoned plans to protest in the capital, Maseru, over Mr Thabane's decision in June to suspend parliament after being threatened with a no-confidence vote.
Maseru is calm, but there are fears that conflict could erupt again, reports the BBC's Nomsa Maseko from South Africa's main city, Johannesburg.
The military is said to be rounding up policemen and stripping them of their uniforms, she says.
Some policemen have reportedly abandoned their posts and fled to South Africa, our correspondent adds.
Sadc executive Stergomena Tax told the BBC that regional leaders had ruled out sending troops to Lesotho any time soon.
The meeting decided that a "facilitator" should be sent to help the parties resolve differences, Ms Tax said.
During the talks, Mr Thabane appealed for a peacekeeping force to be deployed, his aide said.
"You can no longer say you can only send a mission. You need an intervention of soldiers," Samonyane Ntsekele is quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
Conflict broke out on Saturday morning with soldiers involved in an exchange of fire outside two police stations.
One police officer was killed and four wounded after the military intervened, police say.One police officer was killed and four wounded after the military intervened, police say.
Lesotho military spokesman Ntlele Ntoi said the military had received intelligence that the police were going to arm factions involved in Monday's march by the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD). Earlier, Lesotho military spokesman Ntlele Ntoi said the military had received intelligence that the police were going to arm factions ahead of Monday's march by the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).
'Unconstitutional'
The LCD is led by Mr Metsing, who has been in an uneasy coalition with Mr Thabane's All Basotho Convention since 2012.The LCD is led by Mr Metsing, who has been in an uneasy coalition with Mr Thabane's All Basotho Convention since 2012.
The prime minister has hinted that his deputy might have links to the military's actions - charges denied by his party. Earlier, Mr Thabane told the BBC he would return from South Africa "as soon as I know I am not going to get killed".
Both Mr Thabane and Mr Metsing have attended talks hosted by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) regional bloc in Pretoria to end the crisis. He said the army had rendered the government "dysfunctional", an action that amounted to a coup.
Mr Thabane appealed for a peacekeeping force to be deployed to Lesotho, his aide said. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern about the "military takeover" and called for respect for "democratic rule".
"You can no longer say you can only send a mission. You need an intervention of soldiers," Samonyane Ntsekele is quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
Lesotho is entirely surrounded by South Africa.
Mr Thabane told the BBC he would return from South Africa "as soon as I know I am not going to get killed".
Public service minister Motloheloa Phooko said he was acting as prime mnister in the absence of Mr Thabang and Mr Metsing.
He is a member of Mr Metsing's party.
On Saturday, the prime minister said the army had rendered the government "dysfunctional", an action that amounted to a coup.
South Africa's government on Saturday described the situation as "worrying", with spokesman Clayson Monyela saying the country would not tolerate "unconstitutional change of government".
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has also expressed concern about the "military takeover" and called for respect for "democratic rule".
The army is understood to have acted after the prime minister attempted to remove its chief, Lt Gen Kennedy Tlai Kamoli.
The army said the general was still in charge, saying the military "supports the democratically elected government of the day," Reuters news agency reported.