Court martial proceedings have begun in Lesotho against 39 soldiers accused of involvement in the army mutiny that led to South African military intervention there last September.

The trials are taking place in the central prison of the capital, Maseru.

Correspondents say the courts-martial were unexpected because the government had agreed to pardon soldiers who handed over their weapons after the mutiny.

Opposition groups have protested, saying the courts-martial are not in the spirit of national reconciliation.