Pretoria - SADC Facilitator and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa today, Saturday 22 November 2014, welcomed the departure over the weekend, on leave of absence, of three senior Lesotho Defence Force and Police Services officers to various destinations in the continent of Africa.

The three senior officers Lt. General Tlali Kamoli, Lt. General Maaparankoe Mahao and Commissioner Khotatso Tsooana left Lesotho on Friday 21 November 2014 on working visits to Uganda, Sudan and Algeria, respectively.

“The SADC mission in Lesotho welcomes the departure of the three senior officers. Their departure ensures the implementation of the decisions of the SADC Heads of Government when they met in Pretoria and is in line with provisions of the Maseru Security Accord.

"This is an important confidence building measure in returning the country to security stability as this will add to the creation of a climate that is conducive for elections to take place in February 2015", said the SADC Facilitator, Deputy President Ramaphosa

“The Maseru Security Accord provided for the three senior officers to take leave of absence and to undergo working visits, in their related fields of work, to various destinations in the continent of Africa thus allowing space for normalcy in the build up towards the February elections”, continued Facilitator Deputy President Ramaphosa.

“This development will go a long way in building the necessary confidence in the process of the stabilisation of the security situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho as part of regional efforts to help return the country to political stability.” concluded Deputy President Ramaphosa

The Facilitator Deputy President Ramaphosa expressed gratitude on behalf of the SADC Heads of States and Government, to the governments and peoples of Uganda, Sudan, Algeria and the African Union Commission for facilitating the hosting of the three senior officers during their leave of absence."

As part of efforts to consolidate the implementation of provisions of the Maseru Facilitation Declaration and the Maseru Security Accord, SADC Facilitator, Deputy President Ramaphosa will return to Maseru later next week for on-going consultations with relevant political and security role-players with a particular focus on preparations for the holding of the brought forward general elections scheduled for February 2015.

For more information, contact Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.

Issued by: The Presidency

Pretoria