Staff Reporter
Illegal firearms are killing innocent people in Lesotho like flies. Every sane citizen in the country is worried and threatened by the skyrocketing cases of Basotho murdering one another.
The streets are stained with blood, and the fear of death hangs heavy over communities. The government, through its law enforcement agencies, must do everything within its power and the scope of the Constitution to get rid of these senseless killings, arrest the perpetrators, and ensure they are locked away for life.
Cleaning our communities of illegal firearms is a national priority, one that should be executed with urgency and precision.
However, this noble cause to rid Lesotho of its gun-fueled violence should never be used as an excuse for satanic deeds by the very soldiers tasked with maintaining law and order.
Recent reports reveal that members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), in their search for illegal firearms, have committed acts so horrific that they can only be described as the work of the devil.
In an appalling display of sadistic cruelty, soldiers allegedly tortured suspects in a manner that shocks the conscience. One soldier, according to reports, attempted to cut a suspect’s dreadlocks using a stone, a crude and violent act in itself.
But when the method proved too slow, the soldiers escalated their brutality to unimaginable levels. Gathering firewood and lighting a fire, they forced the suspect to kneel close to the flames.
Then, in a scene that could have been torn from the pages of hell itself, they pushed his head toward the fire until his dreadlocks caught fire. The burning hair filled the air with the stench of cruelty, while the suspect screamed in agony. His cries for mercy fell on deaf ears.
Another suspect was subjected to similar torture, his hair set ablaze, leaving his scalp blistered and wounded and his dignity shattered.
In this unimaginable act of torment, these soldiers, who are meant to protect the people, have turned into torturers, mimicking Satan himself, the biblical figure who burns and destroys. How else can one describe such unthinkable evil, where a man’s hair is set alight, not by accident, but by deliberate, cold-hearted intent?
The Bible paints Satan as the figure who burns people in the fires of hell, but these soldiers have brought hell to the living. Their actions do not just violate human rights, they rip apart the very fabric of humanity.
Torture of this nature, burning a person alive, even just by their hair, belongs in the darkest pages of history, not in our villages.
This incident raises alarming questions about the culture within the LDF and the unchecked power these soldiers wield over defenceless citizens. How could men trained to serve and protect become instruments of terror? How could they fall so low as to degrade and torment people as if they were soulless beings, devoid of any trace of mercy?
The international community and human rights organisations should not only be alarmed but outraged. No human being should be subjected to this level of cruelty, let alone by those meant to shield them from harm.
This satanic display of torture by the Lesotho Defence Force must be stopped, and those responsible must be brought to justice swiftly, before more innocent lives are destroyed by the flames of brutality.
We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this devilish behaviour.
The people demand accountability, and the world must take note: there are soldiers in Lesotho who have become wolves in sheep’s clothing, serving not their country, but their most satanic instincts.
While the scourge of illegal firearms and the rising murders in our country demands swift and decisive action, there is no justification for such barbarism displayed by soldiers.
The Constitution of Lesotho, along with international human rights standards, forbids torture in any form. The LDF, instead of upholding the rule of law, has descended into a lawless and satanic force, terrorising civilians under the guise of national security.
As the nation grapples with its gun crisis, it must remember that no victory over violence can be achieved through further violence. Torture, degradation, and satanic cruelty cannot be allowed to define Lesotho’s path to peace.
The world is watching, and Basotho deserve better than to live in a country where the flames of hell are stoked by their own soldiers.
The LDF and government authorities must not forget the powerful lessons from Nigeria’s End SARS movement. In 2020, the Nigerian people rose up in protest against the brutal acts of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), whose unchecked violence, torture, and inhumane treatment sparked a nationwide outcry.
The atrocities committed by SARS were met with a unified voice of defiance as ordinary citizens refused to accept torture and death at the hands of those sworn to protect them. The people stood up and demanded change, forcing a global spotlight on Nigeria’s human rights violations and leading to the eventual disbandment of SARS.
Similarly, the All Lives Matter movement in the United States, which emerged in response to police brutality, spread across the globe. It reminded governments everywhere that the abuse of power and the dehumanisation of citizens would not be tolerated.
The world watched as millions rallied to proclaim that every life is valuable and that justice must be served for all—regardless of status or location.
Lesotho must heed these warnings.
The same fury that sparked the End SARS protests and fueled the All Lives Matter movement can erupt here if the government and military fail to respect the rights and dignity of Basotho.
Basotho will not stand by while the LDF turns into an instrument of terror. The government must act swiftly to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for these satanic acts of torture, lest the flames of public outrage grow uncontrollable.
Peace and justice must prevail—without resorting to the fires of hell.
