Lesotho

The Kingdom of Lesotho (Muso oa Lesotho) is a landlocked nation that is completely surrounded by South Africa. The region was populated mostly by migrating Sotho-Tswana-speaking people between the 4th and 11th centuries CE. Originally known as Basutoland, the region emerged as a unified polity under the reign of Moshoeshoe I in 1822. In order to protect his kingdom from encroaching Boers claiming land rights in the late 1930s, Moshoeshoe signed a treaty with the government of Great Britain, but the disputes re-emerged, inciting the Free State-Basuto Wars between 1865 and 1868. In the aftermath, Basutoland became a British protectorate and the Boer Free State acquired large tracts of land that were once part of the tribal territory. Basutoland gained its independence from Britain and became the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966.

Formed in 1979, the armed forces of this nation are known as the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force, and comprise approximately 2,500 active duty personnel. An elite security unit called the Royal Squadron provides ceremonial and protective details for the monarchy.

Camouflage of Lesotho

• The Defence Force have worn variations of British DPM since the 1980s. An early version, seen below, was locally-made in a style similar to the British 1985 pattern uniform.

• Later versions of the pattern feature much brighter colors and more durable fabrics, being produced in Asia specifically for use by the Swaziland Defence Force.

• During the 1980s, the Royal Squadron (King's Bodyguard) were issued a brilliant-colored blue/purple DPM pattern camouflage uniform for ceremonial appearances. These uniforms were made in South Africa by the same factories that produced uniforms for the SADF. It is not known whether this unique camouflage pattern is still worn.