SECURITY PROMISED AFTER MURDER OF OPPOSITION OFFICIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000265

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR AF/S;
GABORONE FOR RSO
PRETORIA FOR POL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/5/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC LT
SUBJECT: SECURITY PROMISED AFTER MURDER OF OPPOSITION OFFICIAL

REF: (A) DCM-AF/S TELECON 6/3/06 (B) MASERU 260 (C) MASERU 35 (D) MASERU 164

CLASSIFIED BY: June Carter Perry, Ambassador, EXEC , STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Lesotho's Deputy Prime Minister has assured the
diplomatic community that suspects in the June 2 murder of an
opposition party leader will be fully pursued and said he has
met with the Lesotho Defense Force/Security personnel to assure
a safe environment. He lamented that this incident (and the
shooting of the Foreign Minister in January) was "not good for
the image of Lesotho." These comments were communicated during
preparations for the Sunday (June 11) visit of Ireland's
President. Bereng Sekhonyana was gunned down on Friday, June 2,
2006 outside his residence in Hoohlo. According to police, he
was shot by at least four (4) gunmen using automatic rifles and
pistols. The guns included an Israeli made Galilee and an AK 47
assault rifle. Sekhonyana was the representative appointed by
the Speaker of Parliament to attend a 2005 SADC meeting against
the wishes of the opposition BNP leadership.


2. (SBU) According to the police, Sekhonyana arrived at his
residence at around 20:00 hours, as he approached the gate, he
honked for the gate to be opened but suddenly, his attackers
emerged and shot and killed him at close range while he was
still seated in his vehicle. An assortment of about 18 shells
from the rifles and pistols were discovered scattered around his
vehicle the following day. The fatal shooting of Sekhonyana
comes a few days after the leadership of the BNP was suspended
from Parliament (see Ref B). Sekhonyana was the younger brother
to the late Rets'elisitsoe Sekhonyana, Leader of the BNP who
preceded Lekhanya. He represented the BNP on the Interim
Political Authority (IPA) which forged the present mixed member
parliament. He was also a member of the Parliamentary Reforms
Committee.


3. (SBU) He was one of a small faction of disgruntled BNP
Members of Parliament (MPs) who dubbed themselves the "struggle
for democratic change" rebelled against the leadership of their
party under Major General Metsing Lekhanya in January 2005 and
announced that they had elected Thabang Nyeoe as their leader.
The situation was further exacerbated by the Speaker of the
National Assembly's decision of nominating Sekhonyana to attend
the SADC Parliamentary Forum meeting in Gaborone, Botswana in
September 2005 without consulting the BNP leadership. The BNP
leadership subsequently wrote letters to the Speaker urging her
to reconsider her decision. A petition by the BNP Youth League
through a protest march to Parliament also took place. The
Speaker responded by making a statement in Parliament
reprimanding the BNP leadership, and requesting protection from
the House. A motion condemning the BNP was passed and the
Leader of the House, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister,
recommended that the matter be taken to the Privileges
Committee. On May 18, 2006, the committee made recommendations
for five (5) senior BNP members to be suspended from Parliament.


4. (SBU) On May 31, 2006, the National Assembly adopted all the
recommendations of the Privileges Committee and General Lekhanya
was suspended from Parliament for 10 months without pay and the
other senior members for 6 months without pay. (Note:
Sekhonyana was not among the suspended BNP members. End Note.)
On Sunday, June 4, 2006, the Deputy Prime Minister who is also
the Minister responsible for Home Affairs and Public Safety,
made a statement on state media, Radio Lesotho, indicating that
Sekhonyana's death was tragic, unfortunate and uncalled for. He
also stated that the police would do everything in their power
to bring those responsible for the shooting into custody.


5. (SBU) On the same day, the National Executive Committee of
the BNP released a press statement expressing its shock and
condemning the act. The committee undertook to assist law
enforcement authorities towards a speedy apprehension of the
culprits and also appealed to party members and Basotho of
goodwill to give leads that would assist in the conclusion of
this matter. The committee also expressed gratitude to the
Deputy Prime Minister for his assurance that everything will be
done to bring the perpetrators to justice. It also appealed to
the bereaved family as well as party members to exercise
patience and give the hand of the law the opportunity to deal
with the matter.


6. (SBU) Sekhonyana lived in Hoohlo, which is located near the
Lesotho and South African border opposite Maseru West, where
many dignitaries stay. The Royal Palace, the Prime Minister's
residence, official residences of Ministers, foreign dignitaries
including the U.S. Ambassador and other senior government
officials are located in Maseru West. Sekhonyana's residence is
less than a kilometer from the Embassy and the Ambassador's

MASERU 00000265 002 OF 002


residence.


7. (C) Comment: The resurgence of political killings has taken
many in Lesotho by surprise, occurring as it has when the
country is gearing up for national elections next year. Many
observers are already speculating about the shooting. Some are
saying this is an act by "loose cannons" within the BNP or
members of the ruling party who want to discredit Lekhanya and
his party. Lekhanya and the senior leadership of the party are
also suspects according to observers. The statements by the DPM
and the BNP leadership both call for thorough investigations and
bringing those responsible to justice. While the DPM remains
cynical about the BNP's statement, he has promised to take full
security measures as Lesotho hosts a number of international
visitors as was done over the past year with Ambassador Tobias,
the UN's Stephen Lewis, former President Clinton and EU
delegations. This incident reinforces the need for political
education and prompt round up of weapons which the DPM asserts
are residuals of 1998 disturbances. End Comment
PERRY