On 2 July 2026, during a government-organised Accountability Summit at the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre in Maseru, members of youth organisations reported that police officers and members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) harassed young participants who were peacefully expressing their views through placards. According to a joint statement issued by the organisations on 3 July 2026, security personnel questioned participants, confronted them and confiscated their placards despite there being no allegations of violence or disruption of the proceedings.
The Accountability Summit was held between 1 and 3 July 2026 and was established to enable citizens and civil society organisations to engage directly with national leaders, ask questions, seek clarification and provide feedback on governance and service delivery issues. It was presented as a platform to strengthen accountability, transparency and public participation.
Following the incident, the youth organisations called for public apologies from the Lesotho Mounted Police Service and the LDF, assurances that peaceful expression would be protected at future public events, condemnation of the conduct by the summit organisers and implementation of measures to safeguard civic participation.
While the summit itself reflected an increase state openness to civil society engagement, the harassment experienced by the youth organisations interfered with their constitutional right to freedom of expression and undermined the purpose of the summit as a forum for open public participation. Compared to other instances of protester intimidation, the intimidation of peaceful participants during the summit carries particular weight as it occurred during a forum specifically established to promote dialogue and citizen participation.
The broader impact of this event remains to be seen and will depend on the response of state authorities and the summit organizers. If not addressed properly, the incident is expected to discourage citizens and civil society organisations from participating openly in future public consultations and accountability processes. This would weaken confidence in government-led participation mechanisms and reduce the effectiveness of forums designed to strengthen transparency and accountability. Conversely, a prompt response by the responsible authorities, including acknowledging the incident, safeguarding participants’ rights and ensuring that future public engagement processes remain free from intimidation, could reinforce public trust and strengthen the enabling environment for civic participation.