Libya's camels land in Lesotho
2008-01-10 22:13
Maseru - A huge Libyan government cargo jet landed in this tiny mountainous kingdom on Thursday with Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi's gift to the prime minister of four camels.
Lesotho's foreign minister and another top government official were at the airport to receive the two adults and two calves, who were then whisked away to a secret destination.
Four Libyan officials accompanying the camels refused to comment. Lesotho foreign ministry officials, who asked not to be named, said they were a present from Gadaffi to Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, who paid a state visit to Libya two years ago to establish diplomatic ties.
It was unclear how Mosisili planned to use the camels in Lesotho, an impoverished kingdom of 1.8 million people surrounded by South Africa. Temperatures can fall to below zero and rain is sometimes heavy - in contrast to the Libyan desert.
Many people in Lesotho use horses as their main means of transport on the rugged terrain.
- AP