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Lesotho’s government has expressed shock over US President Donald Trump’s recent remark that “nobody has ever heard of” the southern African nation.
Trump made the comment while addressing Congress in his first speech since returning to the Oval Office, listing what he described as wasteful government spending.
“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said, prompting laughter from some US lawmakers.
In response, Lesotho’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lejone Mpotjoane called the remark “shocking,” emphasizing that Lesotho is a sovereign state with strong diplomatic ties to the US.
“To my surprise, ‘the country that nobody has heard of’ is one where the US has a permanent mission,” Mpotjoane said.
“Lesotho is a UN member and part of multiple international bodies. The US maintains an embassy in Maseru, and several American organizations operate here.”
Mpotjoane later told AFP that Lesotho would “not take this matter lightly” and planned to send an official protest letter to Washington.
Lesotho’s Close Ties with the US
Lesotho is one of the largest beneficiaries of the US’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants favorable trade terms to promote economic development. In 2024, trade between the two nations totaled $240 million (£187m), mostly from Lesotho’s textile and clothing exports to the US.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Kutloano Pheko downplayed Trump’s remarks as “off the cuff” and “political” but deemed them “uncalled for” given the long-standing relationship between the two nations.
“We maintain very warm and cordial relations with the US. They have a mission in Maseru, and we have one in Washington,“ Pheko added.
Regarding Trump’s claim about US funding for LGBTQ organizations in Lesotho, Pheko said the government could not confirm the details, as such funds are typically directed to NGOs.
US Aid Cuts Hit Lesotho
Lesotho has also been affected by Trump’s decision to pause foreign aid, particularly the termination of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—a move that disrupted critical health programs.
PEPFAR, launched in 2003 by former US President George W. Bush, has provided lifesaving support for HIV and TB programs in Lesotho through the US government’s aid agency, USAID.
Mpotjoane, however, refrained from directly criticizing the cuts, stating that it is the US’s “prerogative to cut aid if they want to.”
