MASERU – President Donald Trump of the United States mentioned Lesotho in a recent speech, suggesting that it is not well-known. In response, the foreign minister of Lesotho expressed disagreement, highlighting the presence of a U.S. embassy in the country and emphasizing that Trump’s perspective may not be accurate.
The minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, expressed surprise and disappointment at Trump’s statement, urging him to avoid making generalizations and instead focus on presenting his own views. Trump’s remarks sparked reactions due to their dismissive nature, causing some amusement during his speech to Congress.
Mpotjoane said Trump appeared to pick on Lesotho because it isn’t a rich country, but warned: “One day America may need Lesotho’s support.”
In fact, Trump’s key adviser Elon Musk has already sought it.
Trump mocked Lesotho while criticizing some U.S. foreign aid contracts as a waste of money in his 99-minute speech on Tuesday.
During his speech, Trump also mentioned allocating eight million dollars for LGBTQI+ initiatives in Lesotho, a country he struggled to pronounce correctly. His comments drew attention as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared to find humor in the situation.
But Musk in September was meeting with Lesotho’s prime minister, Sam Matekane, while trying to do business with the southern African nation.
Musk’s Starlink internet satellite service, a subsidiary of SpaceX, has applied for a license to operate in Lesotho. It’s one of several African countries where it is bidding to win contracts. The Lesotho Communications Authority said last month it recently received Starlink’s bid for a 10-year license.
Musk was born in South Africa, which surrounds Lesotho and its 2.3 million people.
He met with Matekane on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Matekane posted a photo on X of them shaking hands. The message said in part: “Exciting developments lie ahead.”
But Musk also has been instrumental in the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development in his role as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency.
Those cuts have threatened Lesotho’s HIV program and forced it to lay off at least 1,500 health workers — about 7% of the country’s health staff — in what the government has described as a severe blow. U.S. aid has been credited with helping Lesotho provide life-saving treatment to more than 200,000 people living with HIV.
Lesotho has received American assistance for nearly 20 years through USAID, which gave it over $44 million last year. The dismantling of the agency and widespread terminations of U.S. foreign aid contracts have hit Africa harder than any other region.
Lesotho’s foreign minister, asked about Trump’s comment on promoting LGBTQI+ in his country, said he was not aware of the $8 million contract Trump mentioned because USAID funding was largely channeled through non-governmental organizations. The minister didn’t comment on the U.S. aid cuts.
Lesotho repealed its laws against homosexuality in 2012 but same-sex marriages are still not recognized, and activists say LGBTQ people face stigma and discrimination.
This wasn’t the first time Trump has been disparaging about Africa. During his first term, he used a crude expletive that refers to a pit latrine to describe some African countries.
___
Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.
___
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
