Human rights in Lesotho Human rights in Lesotho Human rights in Lesotho, a nation of 2,067,000 people completely surrounded by South Africa, is a contentious issue. In its 2012 Freedom in the World report, Freedom House declared the country "Partly Free". According to the United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, which produces annual human rights reports on the country, the most pressing human rights issues are the use of torture, poor prison conditions, and the abuse of women and children. Lesotho became independent from the United Kingdom in 1966. The period until 1998 saw a series of annulled elections and military
Mining industry of Lesotho order 1970 on regulations of export, extraction, and all commercial rules related to rough diamonds; the Explosives Proclamation of 1958 (amended) and Mine Safety Act 1981. The country has accepted the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. Known mineral deposits in Lesotho include base metals, clay, diamond, dimension stone, sand, gravel, and uranium. Artisanal mining concerns of agate, clay, sand, gravel, and stone have occurred to a limited extent for internal consumption. Reserves of bituminous shale and coal have also been identified. Mining industry of Lesotho The mining industry of Lesotho is mostly concentrated on diamond mining and as such the mining