South African Intervention in Lesotho (1998)
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The South African Defense Force Invasion of Lesotho, codenamed Operation Boleas, was a military invasion launched by the South African government in 1998 into the neighbouring country of Lesotho to quell a suspected coup.
In March of 1998, parliamentary elections in Lesotho resulted in an overwhelming majority for the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy Party, which won 79 out of 80 seats. However allegations of vote fraud soon surfaced, and after a failed lawsuit by the opposition parties, widespread rioting broke out.
The Nelson Mandela administration in South Africa (the nation which completely landlocks Lesotho) announced it would hold a formal inquiry to determine the allegations of corruption. Controversially, the report only alleged minor irregularities.
On September 22, 1998 Mandela allowed for a deployment of some 700 South African troops into Lesotho to quell the rioting and maintain order. Botswanan soldiers were also deployed. The operation was described as a "intervention to restore democracy and the rule of law."
Widespread arson, violence and looting occurred despite the SADC soldiers. Troops were pulled out in May of 1999 after 7 months of occupation.
The capital city of Maseru was gutted, rebuilding is still continuing as of 2004.