MURDER OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MASERU 000269 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR AF/S E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/6/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM LT SUBJECT: MURDER OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REF: (A) MASERU 265 (B) MASERU 260 CLASSIFIED BY: June Carter Perry, Ambassador, EXEC , STATE. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) We have learned that Prime Minister Mosisili revealed during the June 6 Cabinet meeting that he had enlisted the South African Police and Intelligence Unit to resolve the June 2 assassination of opposition leader Bereng Sekhonyana. The Foreign Minister thought the investigation would be completed over the next 6-8 weeks. According to the Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister has asked the South African police to also complete the investigation of the January attack on the Foreign Minister as well as the murder of Mosisili's son several years ago. The Foreign Minister says the GOL fears that the Lesotho police force is heavily infiltrated with members of the BNP opposition and has therefore been dragging its feet on a series of investigations over the past few years. ¶2. (C) The killing of Mr. Sekhonyana is being viewed as an internal BNP affair and to demonstrate the concern of the government over such a crime, the Prime Minister is expected to pay his condolences to the family of Mr. Sekhonyana late in the afternoon of June 6. As indicated reftel, the Deputy Prime Minister has clearly signaled the diplomatic corps that such crimes will not go unpunished, that the state must act with speed, find the collaborators and seize illegal weapons that seem to proliferate on the streets of Maseru. The GOL wants the above matter resolved as soon as possible given the pre-electoral period that is already here and the primaries that will be taking place over the next several months in advance of the April 2007 national elections. PERRY