MBABANE: Arnold Tsunga, the Chairperson of the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network(SAHRDN) has written a letter to Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community(SADC) urging the regional body to facilitate urgent inclusive constitutional reforms to legalise political parties and allow multi-party democracy as well as robust and inclusive political engagements.
Eswatini is in the midst of a political crisis after King Mswati issued a decree banning all protests and delivery of petitions, protestors who are demanding democratic reforms subsequently defied the order and the army was later unleashed on unarmed civilians, dozens have been killed.
The Human Rights organisation further wants SADC to persuade the eSwatini Government to recall the army back to the barracks and an independent commission of inquiry be established to investigate promptly and transparently the role of the military and other security forces in the killings of civilians.
“Encouraging the eSwatini government to uphold its international and domestic legal obligations to respect and enforce the citizens fundamental human rights to respect the constitution and guarantee freedom of expression, association and assembly as well as freedom to use internet” ,read the letter in part signed by the Human Rights Defenders Chairperson.
Arnold Tsunga, the Chairperson of the Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network(SAHRDN)