The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will dispatch another ministerial delegation to eSwatini in the next few days to help defuse the political tensions in the kingdom, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on Tuesday.
In a statement, Masisi said the decision to dispatch another a second ministerial mission to eSwatini was reached after another mission at the weekend ended without meeting all stakeholders in the country.
He said the one-day mission, which was led by Botswana’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lemogang Kwape and also included ministers from South Africa and Zimbabwe, held consultations with eSwatini government officials on Sunday but failed to meet all representatives of civil society.
“Due to the short notice, it was not possible to reach many of the stakeholders. As a result, it was agreed that a second mission will be dispatched urgently to eSwatini to continue the consultation process with the other stakeholders in the country,” said Masisi who also chairs the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.
The regional bloc is trying to resolve a political crisis in eSwatini where thousands of pro-democracy activists have been demanding changes in the country’s governance system.
Dozens of people have been reportedly killed and several others arrested in skirmishes with the police and army.
JN/APA