LESOTHO: MAFETENG: TOWN DEVASTATED BY RECENT VIOLENCE скачать в хорошем качестве

LESOTHO: MAFETENG: TOWN DEVASTATED BY RECENT VIOLENCE

(27 Sep 1998) English/Nat Destroyed by rampant looting and arson, Lesotho in southern African is coming to terms with the greatest crisis the area it has ever faced. Army tanks are still on the streets as the South African troops who stepped into the conflict last week, continue to keep a tight rein on what is happening. Their one role - to make sure fighting does not break out again. These burnt and looted shops are all that's left of Mafeteng's main shopping area - a reminder of the violence that's embraced the town over the past few days. The town - 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of the capital Maseru - has been devastated. Cars are burnt out, and dozens of livelihoods lost as business are left without stock, many even without a building to operate from. South African troops sent into the warring kingdom last week are now left patrolling the streets ensuring that peace is kept. For the first time since they moved in, they have deployed armoured tanks mounted with cannons. The South African troops, joined by soldiers from Botswana, say they intervened to stop a military mutiny from escalating into a coup, threatening the civilian government elected last year. Lesotho's mutinous troops fought the South Africans who had arrived expecting to easily secure the growing discontentment. But unaware of South African's peace keeping mission, non-mutinous troops also fought the rebel forces, resulting in at least 67 deaths from both sides, along with several dozen civilians. Now the South African troops are insisting on an end to the violence, and have ordered the two thousand-strong Lesotho defence force back to work. SOUNDBITE: (English) "You report in uniform, with your weapons, eight o'clock Monday morning, you have time, until Monday 1600 hours, four o'clock in the afternoon, if you are not here obviously we will have to go and look for you." SUPER CAPTION: South African Army Commander They want the rebel troops to work out their problems, and are stressing South Africa's mission is one of peace keeping and not of fighting SOUNDBITE: (English) "You tell your friends, they must stop what they are doing, it is wrong, that it is important, from Monday you will come here, eight o'clock in the morning and you will sort out your differences within your organisation of which we do not have any part. You are therefore now free to go, as you leave the gate we will take your address." SUPER CAPTION: South African Army Commander Many of the soldiers abandoned the government, in support of opposition politicians and promises of pay increases. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...