Lesotho mediation mission over

South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the facilitator of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has concluded his first official visit to Lesotho.

The one-day visit was part of regional efforts to assist the people of the country to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing impasse, Xinhua reported.

During the visit, Ramaphosa met the three leaders of the Coalition Government led by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing and Thesile Maseribane.

The SADC has given an ultimatum to Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to reopen the suspended parliament with immediate effect to pave way for early elections in a bid to end political tension in that country.

Trouble has been brewing in Lesotho since June, when Thabane's rival, Deputy Prime Minister Metsing, vowed to push for a parliamentary vote of no confidence against Thabane.

Thabane then suspended parliament in June to avoid a vote of no confidence.

He was forced to flee to South Africa late August after an attempted "coup" against him by the military, believed to be loyal to Metsing and returned home days later after the "coup" under the brokerage of the SADC and South Africa.

After returning home, Thabane pledged to re-open parliament Sep 19.

But he later postponed it, saying he wanted to ascertain who was in charge of the country's army.