LESOTHO: AMBASSADOR'S QUARTERLY SECURITY REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MASERU 000346

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR AF/FO, DS/FO, AF/S

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/21/2016
TAGS: ASEC PREL LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: AMBASSADOR'S QUARTERLY SECURITY REPORT

REF: (A) STATE 116856 (B) MASERU 172

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



Summary
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1. (C) The security situation in Lesotho continues to be
critical as indicated below by the security incidents over the
past several months. We believe it is important to note again
to the Department the importance of having a full time Regional
Security Officer (RSO) here. As has been previously reported,
we have recently experienced the political murder of an
opposition party leader and, prior to that, the attempted
assassination of Lesotho's Foreign Minister. In meetings with
international donors, we have discussed the ongoing tension
between the opposition parties and the ruling party, and the
continuing friction by the various opposition parties
themselves. It is extremely important to note that the pending
national elections in Lesotho have already had a deleterious
impact upon the safety and security concerns of both citizens
and foreign missions alike. As the U.S. Mission is in the
process not only of transferring staff, but preparing for the
arrival of additional personnel, including a number of small
children, it is imperative that the Department provide the kind
of protection only a full time resident RSO can provide. As
Chief of Mission (COM),I feel it is my responsibility to bring,
as I have for the past 2 years (and as my predecessor did for 2
years prior to my arrival),the essential nature of protecting
USG personnel in Lesotho.


2. (C) I want to make it clear, and put on the record, that I
consider any harm that comes to any American citizen occurring
in the context of the Ambassador's repeated appeals to the
Department as within the Department's responsibility. In
fulfilling Presidential initiatives in Lesotho, to include
PEPFAR, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and the Africa
Education Initiative, our staffing pattern has continued to
grow. In this fledging democracy, the underlying tensions
mentioned above coincide with sustained criminal attacks, some
of which are outlined in the security report. The potential of
American citizens and USG personnel being inadvertently caught
up in demonstrations not initially aimed at them, but in which
they become victims remains a possibility. There was a July 20
youth political demonstration and it is expected there will be
many from now until the spring 2007 elections.


3. (C) As indicated in the Secretary's recent Off Site, Theme
II of Advancing Transformational Diplomacy is to create "a safe,
secure platform for conduct of foreign policy." This theme is
to be implemented by the Assistant Secretary of Diplomatic
Security according to ref (A). Embassy Maseru must rely upon DS
to implement such safety and security. The Africa Bureau has
been supportive of having this slot filled at post and it
remains incomprehensible that Consular posts, some of smaller
size as well as neighboring Swaziland, have full time RSOs while
the American officers and staff present in Lesotho lack that
same degree of protection. Therefore, as Ambassador I want to
be very clear that I consider this my #1 personnel priority. It
is not fair to put American personnel in a critical threat
environment to advance some of the President's most important
initiatives without guaranteeing the kind of security coverage
they deserve and merit.


4. (C) Among the specific requirements for the RSO are regular
review of housing security, including adequate lighting and
location, on-the-spot training, regular supervision and
monitoring of local guard performance. These functions cannot
be carried out simply by a Mission officer (Management Officer)
who is responsible for human resources, general services,
housing and all relevant fiscal accountability matters
pertaining to that position. The campaign for Lesotho's 2007
National Elections has already begun; we have been working with
our international partners here, the Government of Lesotho
(GOL),as well as a US PVO to provide the pre-electoral training
and conflict resolution seminars in advance of these elections.
However, those efforts do not guarantee that the pre-electoral,
electoral and post-electoral processes will be totally free of
conflict.


5. (C) With that important background, I would like to bring to
your attention as well, the simple fact that a greater number of
eligible family members at post makes the request for a full
time RSO even more imperative. Visits by an Assistant RSO, who
is 5 to 8 hours away, for high level visits such as the recent
one of Former President Clinton and Bill and Melinda Gates, is
certainly important, but I consider just as important if not
more so, the constant presence of an RSO for the men and women

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assigned to our Mission.


6. (SBU) Post looks forward to pursuing this matter and to
having an affirmative response to this request in the near
future before further unfortunate incidents take place such as
the recent invasion of an American family's home by an armed
gang.


7. (SBU) Lesotho Criminal Incidents - Second Quarter 2006
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-- Thursday, July 13, 2006 about 19:30: An American citizen (a
member of the Flying Doctors) was a victim of a home invasion,
during which the whole family (including two young children and
a visiting friend) were held hostage in their home by a gang of
5 men, with guns and knives. The family submitted to the gang's
instructions and no person was hurt during this traumatic
incident. The gang made off with food, clothing and money.

-- Thursday, July 13, 2006 all morning: There were some civil
disturbances at the main Bus Stop area in Maseru. The sidewalk
vendors were throwing stones and getting agitated due to the
police wanting to shut them down for not having trading permits.
The police had the situation under control by late afternoon.
There were confrontations between vendors and Chinese store
owners - a constant source of racial friction underlying the
security situation in Lesotho. News reports referred to the
conflict as similar to 1998 civil disturbances.

-- Friday, June 9, about 11 p.m.: An Embassy motor pool driver
was returning to his own home by foot after watching a football
match at a neighbor's house. He was a few meters from his own
gate when two men appeared, one with a gun, another with a
knife, demanding money. They threatened to kill him,
particularly when he said he didn't have money on him. He was
told to raise his hands (and the knifeman made a motion as if to
cut his nose off, but he was not hurt). They rifled his
pockets, and made off with R50 and his cell phone. A neighbor
noticed them running away and recognized them. The driver and
the neighbor went to the police and reported the incident. When
the police, who lacked transportation, arrived at the thieves'
home, they had vanished.

-- Thursday, June 8, 2006, about noon: Three men held up a
Youth Center that is located on the outskirts of Maseru, on the
road to TY (north east of Maseru). At least one of the men had
a gun. One of those held up was the wife of the Director of the
German international development cooperation, GTZ, who works at
the Youth Center. Money and cell phones, plus a new and
recently donated (from UNICEF) movie projector were stolen. The
assailants made off in the wife's vehicle. No one was injured.
The wife phoned her husband who immediately contacted the local
radio station Mo Africa, who broadcast the description of the
vehicle. The vehicle was recovered soon after, about a mile from
the Youth Center. The assailants have not been caught, nor have
the cell phones or money been found. The police responded only
after being pushed to respond by top people in the MFA. They
arrived at the scene about two hours after being notified of the
robbery.

-- Thursday, April 26, 2006 about 19:00: An international
UNICEF staff member was caught up in a robbery at Leboso wines
and spirit shop in Maseru. The robbery (staged by four masked
armed men) was in progress when he entered the shop. He was
forced to lie down and was robbed of a wallet containing 500
Rand, telephone card, medical insurance card and ATM card.
Nobody was hurt. The matter was reported to the police.


8. (U) Embassy Security Meetings
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-- Daily security meetings by MO acting as PSO are held at 7:45
am with LGF contract Operations Manager, SD Coordinator and FSNI.

-- Weekly security meetings are held to discuss implementation
of guard orders and procedures; monthly meetings address policy,
contract issues, etc.


9. (U) Diplomatic Community Security Meetings
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-- A meeting was held on June 12 at the EU offices. The
Commissioner-General and several Assistant Commissioners of
Police also attended.


10. (U) Security Support Visits
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June 10 - 14: A/RSO Anthony Walker visited post for a week

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during high level visit.


11. (U) SD Coordinator Interviews
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Three rounds of interviews were held to select a new
Surveillance Detection Coordinator. The background
investigation for the selected candidate is almost complete.
PERRY