- Lesotho Times has reported that Lesotho is being listed among the US list of rogue nations along with Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Syria, etc with no access to developmental assistance.
- The Lesotho Government’s failure to curb human trafficking has been cited as the reason for the listing though the allegation was refuted by the government.
Lesotho Times has reported that Lesotho is being listed among the US list of rogue nations along with Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Syria, etc with no access to developmental assistance. The Lesotho Government’s failure to curb human trafficking has been cited as the reason for the listing though the allegation was refuted by the government.
This will have implications on its eligibility for US development assistance like Millennium Challenge Alliance(MCC) though it was assured its support in December 2020. The MCC was established by US congress in 2004, as foreign aid, to help countries fight poverty.
The multimillion-dollar second MCC and other developmental assistance it is reported that will be available only after the country addresses the human trafficking issue. February 2021, is the deadline given to Lesotho to take action on the human trafficking concerns.US has also demanded an investigation of top government officials. Other low-income African countries that figure in the list include South Sudan, Sudan, and Eritrea. Zimbabwe continues to remain on the list on account of Mugabe government’s decision to seize farms from white farmers and the current government’s inability to solve the issue. MCC in its report said that Lesotho is ineligible to receive foreign assistance due to its status as a Tier 3 country under the trafficking victims Protection Act of 2000. If the February deadline is not met, Lesotho stands to lose not only the second MCC compact but other forms of US developmental assistance including crucial funding to fight HIV/AIDS. It will also lose out on Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA)giving quota-free, duty-free access to the US market. Lesotho’s textile industry is anchored on the US market and this development can lead to heavy job losses and economic distress.
