SADC needs firmer stance and strategy for dealing with spiralling Eswatini crisis

The Eswatini crisis is descending into violent conflict, with the bombing of state institutions and attacks against security forces on the rise. At the same time, brutal repression of protests and apparent abductions of civil society members continue. 

Is King Mswati III letting his fear of losing the monarchy get in the way of national peace? His remarks at this year’s 5 August Eswatini Police Day show a lack of commitment to true national dialogue. Referring to the increasing attacks on state institutions, he called for ‘an eye for an eye.’ This position moves the country away from talks. 

The government has also expressed its intention to go ahead with elections next year — flying in the face of Southern African Development Community (SADC) efforts to resolve the political crisis before the polls are held.

Regional efforts to contain the situation and get the parties to talk also seem to be waning. The much-anticipated dialogue promised during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the country at the end of 2021 hasn’t happened. And the Eswatini matter hasn’t been raised in recent SADC meetings. A special summit of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation to discuss the Eswatini crisis, slated for 21 July, was cancelled at the last minute.

SADC’s 42nd heads of state summit in Kinshasa on 17 and 18 August is expected to prioritise Eswatini. The regional body needs a bold and clear position on the next steps — such as assigning a high-level envoy to the kingdom. 

For the pro-democracy movement, there’s a sense that the king is being handled with kid gloves while Eswatini sinks into turmoil. His lukewarm response to national dialogue and regional mediation has been seen as arrogant and aloof, but then again, he has more to lose. The prospect of potentially being the world’s last absolute monarch, the threat to his wealth and the royal family’s future raise the stakes for him.

As violence increases, SADC needs to ramp up its interventions to help solve the political crisis. A recent Institute for Security Studies closed webinar showed that the lack of consensus on the situation, including among political parties and civil society in Eswatini, is a major stumbling block to talks.

Protesters are becoming more militant, and the emergence of the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces further complicates the crisis. The group claimed responsibility for the January bombing that killed a police officer. Political parties also seem to be gravitating towards violence. Calls by the People’s United Democratic Movement president in July for the party’s ground forces to be vigilant and attack key state institutions added fuel to the fire.

Despite the problems, SADC is best placed to lead the national dialogue process. To do so effectively, however, there must be a deliberate change in strategy. First, the regional body must act more boldly and with greater urgency. This means moving away from its collegial approach towards one that gets the king to engage in talks. 

Mswati has been given too much space to dictate the pace of a peaceful resolution, to the detriment of the SADC initiative and Eswatini’s citizens. The regional bloc should establish a high-level presence in the country rather than continuing with intermittent visits by officials.