By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE: Senator Christopher Cooms, the Chairperson of the United States (US) Congress on Foreign Relations, has accused King Mswati of defying the Southern African Development Community (SADC) by refusing to participate in a political dialogue while continuing with a crackdown on dissenting views.

This is contained in the US Senate Resolution 174 tabled by Senator Cooms this week. 

The resolution is expected to be debated and soon thereafter, the US is expected to take action against Mswati and his government.

The resolution seeks to,among others, influence targeted sanctions against Mswati and his trusted servants, who are complicit in the gross violation of human rights in eSwatini.

"Whereas,following a visit to Eswatini by Southern African Development Community (SADC) delegates in November 2021, King Mswati III agreed to provide for a national dialogue to address the civil unrest structured in the format of a sibaya, a royally convened and controlled traditional civic consultative forum, but since then has ignored widespread demands of the pleas of citizens, opposition politicians,civil society,and the regional and international community for a genuine consultative forum inclusive of diverse political views, while continuing the government’s crackdown on dissenting voices. Whereas, in October 2021, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Eswatini authorities to ensure that the people of Eswatini are able to exercise their civil and political rights peacefully;

Whereas reports indicate that the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini has contracted with international security companies to train government security forces to respond to violence in the country, resulting in increased intimidation against dissenting voices," reads the resolution in part.

Reached for comments, King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said they will wait for evidence linking the King to the human rights violations in question.

"The tendency for the West to act on information meant for cheap audiences on Eswatini will continue to be a cause for concern," said the King’s Spokesperson.