Southern African nations deploy envoys to Eswatini as unrest escalates

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Southern African nations announced on Thursday they are sending high profile envoys to Eswatini, Africa's last absolute monarchy, to engage with King Mswati III over violent protests in the country.

Pro-democracy protests have been ongoing for weeks in parts of the tiny Southern African nation, formerly known as Swaziland.

Reports claim dozens have been injured in clashes with security forces and one person has been killed.

Demonstrators have been barricading roads, and looting shops as they demand for political reforms, including lifting of the ban on political parties, freedom of expression and end to the King Mswati's rule.

They also want two leading legislators, who were arrested in July for being in the forefront of the calls for reform, to be freed.

As chair of the organ on Politics and security Cooperation for the 16 Southern African nations (SADC), South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed the envoys on Thursday.

According to a statement, the high-level delegation includes former South African Cabinet ministers, a presidential advisor on international relations, deputy minister of international relations and cooperation as well as representatives of Botswana and Namibia.

The envoys will be accompanied by Elias Magosi, the executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the regional body. They will meet with Mswati this week, according to a Ramaphosa office statement.

Demonstrators, who are mostly youth, claim that the current royal political systems in Eswatini has failed to meet the needs of poor citizens and instead only enriches the king and his family.

The 53-year-old king came to throne three decades ago. He is accused of leading a lavish lifestyle and treating opponents harshly. But the kingdom denies the claims.

“We would like to appeal to all Swazis to discourage this behavior and reiterate that there is no room for such anarchy in our society,” he said, referring to the ongoing protests.

On Wednesday evening, the government in Eswatini restricted access to social media sites, locals said.

"I have been using VPN to access some sites, but the internet is slow," a reporter in the Mbabane city told Anadolu Agency.

Efforts to get a comment from the government spokespeople were unsuccessful as their phones went unanswered.