▁with ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁that ▁defined ▁the ▁boundaries ▁of ▁Bas ut ol and ▁and ▁later ▁Les oth o , ▁which ▁by ▁c eding ▁the ▁western ▁territ ories ▁effectively ▁reduced ▁Mos ho es ho e ' s ▁kingdom ▁to ▁half ▁its ▁previous ▁size . ▁ ▁The ▁extent ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁British ▁ex ert ed ▁direct ▁control ▁over ▁Bas ut ol and ▁w ax ed ▁and ▁w an ed ▁until ▁Bas ut ol and ' s ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Les oth o . ▁However , ▁when ▁the ▁r uling ▁Bas oth o ▁National ▁Party ▁( B NP ) ▁lost ▁the ▁first ▁post - in dep end ence ▁general ▁elections ▁to ▁the ▁Bas oth o ▁Congress ▁Party ▁( BC P ), ▁Le ab ua ▁Jonathan ▁refused ▁to ▁c ede ▁and ▁declared ▁himself ▁T ona ▁Kh olo ▁( S es oth o ▁translation ▁of ▁prime ▁minister ). ▁The ▁B CP ▁began ▁an ▁ins urre ction ▁that ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁a ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁military ▁coup ▁forced ▁the ▁B NP ▁out ▁of ▁office . ▁Power ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁King ▁Mos ho es ho e ▁II , ▁until ▁then ▁a ▁cer emon ial ▁monarch , ▁but ▁forced ▁into ▁ex ile ▁when ▁he ▁lost ▁favour ▁with ▁the ▁military ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁His ▁son ▁was ▁installed ▁as ▁King ▁L ets ie ▁III . ▁Cond itions ▁remained ▁tum ult uous , ▁including ▁an ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁self - c oup ▁by ▁L ets