The Kingdom of Lesotho signed the Mine Ban Treaty on
4 December 1997 and ratified nearly one year later, on 2 December 1998. Lesotho
endorsed the Brussels Declaration and made a statement to the Brussels
Conference affirming its commitment to a total ban on antipersonnel landmines
before the end of 1997.[1] Lesotho
was a full participant to the Oslo treaty negotiations. It also supported the
June 1997 OAU resolution, based on the OAU Kempton Park meeting’s "Plan of
Action." Lesotho voted for the key 1996 and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions
on landmines but was absent from the 1997 resolution.
Lesotho maintains a small armed force, ostensibly in order to protect the
royal family and the preserve national security. Throughout the Cold War
period, Lesotho had to contend with frequent cross-border raids by South Africa
acting against rebels of the African National Congress (ANC). Controversy
surrounding the May 1998 general elections led to chaos and a state of
ungovernability in the country,[2]
and ultimately the South African-led SADC intervention on the 22 September
1998.
Lesotho is not known to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines.
Lesotho states that it does not maintain a stockpile of landmines. However,
during the recent problems, rebel soldiers of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF)
claimed that they had a large quantity of arms in safe houses around the capital
of Maseru and in surrounding villages, including 2000 AK-47 rifles, limpet mines
and landmines.[3] There were no
allegations of use of mines during this time.
Despite its conflict ridden past, this tiny mountain Kingdom is believed to
be one of only two countries in Southern Africa unaffected by mines (the other
being Mauritius) and is listed as such by the United Nations. There are no
reports of uncleared mines.
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