But where is the
King of Eswatini?
For several days, rumors have been rife.
As his country is rocked by violent protests, King Mswati III allegedly fled, according to several media reporting information from the local Communist Party.
According to the BBC, his private plane left the kingdom on Monday evening and could be in South Africa.
A departure denied by the government, which said in a statement that the sovereign is "in the country and continues to govern".
Government Statement: Government assures the Nation that His Majesty King Mswati III is in the country & continues to lead in working with Government to advance the Kingdom's goals.
pic.twitter.com/P3iFjQ4fvz
- Eswatini Government (@ EswatiniGovern1) June 29, 2021
Formerly known as Swaziland, the Kingdom of Eswatini is beset by unprecedented protests.
Unverified videos circulated on social media, showing police violently dispersing protesters.
According to civil society activists, eight people were killed and dozens more injured in clashes with the police.
The authorities declined to comment on these figures, refusing to respond to the media.
Since Tuesday, June 29, Internet access has also been reduced in this small, poor and landlocked country in southern Africa, with activists denouncing a government attempt to silence the revolt.
Authorities also instituted a nighttime curfew on Tuesday officially to fight Covid-19.
Last week, he had already banned protests, stoking anger.
Police have warned they will apply "zero tolerance" to offenders.
Armed forces shooting civilians in Manzini.
pic.twitter.com/POYBvjfWCv
- Swazi News (@SwaziNews) June 30, 2021
Suspicious death of a student
The youth of this country of 1.3 million people are calling for a multiparty democracy and an elected Prime Minister. As the NGO Human Rights Watch explains, it all started in May when "students and teachers began to protest against the murder attributed to police officers of Thabani Nkokomonye, a law student." The authorities launched an investigation, but the protests took a new turn at the end of June when 500 young people took to the streets in the district of Manzini, 30 kilometers from the capital, Mbabane, to demand democratic reforms.
Protests are rare in Eswatini, where the king appoints ministers and controls parliament, and where political parties have been officially banned since 1973. “The judiciary is corrupt and repressive laws have been used to target independent organizations and harass them. civil society activists, "Human Rights Watch summarizes. "Over the years, there has been no democratic progress or human rights reform," continues the NGO.
Asked by the Voice of Africa site
,
the secretary general of the country's National Association of Teachers, Sikelela Dlamini, summed up the exasperation of the population: "It is completely legal for citizens to demand an end police brutality as well as better living conditions on the part of the government. "
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is a landlocked territory in southern Africa.
© Graphic Studio - France Médias Monde
A king known for his escapades
Crowned in 1986 at the age of 18, Mswati III is criticized for his iron fist, his escapades and his sumptuous lifestyle. As France 24 had described in a report broadcast in 2010, the monarch is best known internationally for a traditional ceremony, the Umhlanga, the dance of the reeds. Every year, the head of state brings all the virgins of his kingdom. During a colorful celebration, the sovereign, who would have fifteen women and thirty children, reserves the right to choose a new wife from among them.
But behind this postcard which seduces some tourists attracted by this local folklore, the situation is most catastrophic in this former British colony which obtained its independence in 1968. Eswatini has, in fact, one of the lowest life expectancies. worldwide (51.6 years, according to a 2016 estimate), mainly because it is the country in the world with the highest adult HIV prevalence rate, at 25.9%.
Two thirds of the population also live below the poverty line. In 2019, a series of strikes by officials, who accused Mswati III of emptying the country's coffers to the detriment of his subjects, had already shaken the kingdom. "The country's wealth (cotton, tobacco, rice, iron, wood, etc.) is systematically confiscated by the king and his relatives: any foreign company, such as the Coca-Cola subsidiary, must cede 51% of its shares to a sovereign fund held by the monarch and therefore accept a member of the royal family to its board of directors, "thus described to the magazine Geo Lucky Lukhelé, the spokesperson for the Swaziland Solidarity Network, a pro-democracy movement.
While misery reigns, the king conversely does not hide his passion for watches and luxury cars. In 2019, the opposition in exile had reported a delusional collective gift for him his relatives: the purchase of 19 Rolls-Royces and 120 BMWs for a total of 15 million euros. In 2014, Mswati III also built an international airport for 140 million euros, while air connections are few and road infrastructure is sorely lacking in the country.
Eccentric character, the king also declared last February to have cured of Covid-19 thanks to an antiviral drug sent by Taiwan, with which the small African kingdom is the last country on the continent to maintain diplomatic relations.
This drug, administered by infusion and which he did not give the name, allowed him to be cured even before having the time to announce his hospitalization, he said, speaking of "remarkable success" .
The former Prime Minister of the kingdom, Ambrose Dlamini, on the other hand, died in December, after being treated for four months against Covid-19 in South Africa.
Calls for calm
It is also from this neighboring country that Eswatini depends for the supply of a large part of the goods intended for the kingdom.
Worried about rising violence across the border, regional power South Africa on Thursday urged the small kingdom's security forces to show "total restraint" and save lives human.
"We are particularly concerned about reports of loss of life and destruction of property," South African Foreign Ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela said in a statement.
Washington has also called on the government to allow peaceful protests.
"The United States urges all stakeholders in this situation to not only remain calm but also to remain peaceful," Jalina Porter, spokesperson for the State Department, told reporters.
"It goes without saying that
United States supports strongly the freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, and we know that an inclusive and peaceful dialogue is essential to move forward "
,
she added.
The United States enjoys cordial relations with the kingdom, whose high HIV prevalence has made it a priority country in the US multi-billion dollar initiative to fight AIDS.
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