Human rights activists have called on Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders to bring King Mswati of Eswatini to the negotiation table to resolve the political impasse in the kingdom.
This call comes after the assassination of a human rights activist, Thulani Rudolf Maseko, which has derailed peace efforts in the mountainous kingdom.
In a media statement on Tuesday, the Southern African People's Solidarity Network (SAPSN) reminded the leaders about the human rights and governance crisis in Eswatini.
Maseko, who was assassinated at his home in Mbabane a week ago, was the chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum. The forum, a coalition of non-state actors, was established to advocate national political dialogue to resolve the security and political challenges confronting Eswatini.
His assassination was also condemned by the UN and African Union experts, who described the killing as a "tragedy" and a great loss and a massive blow to the human rights movement in Eswatini.
"We urge SADC leaders to take robust measures to bring King Mswati III to the table for an SADC-led national and inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogue to pave the way for a multi-party democratic dispensation in the kingdom of Eswatini," the solidarity network said.
They further demand justice and accountability for the "brutal murder" of Maseko and the release of SADC fact-finding Mission Reports of 2021.
Following political and civil unrest in Eswatini in July 2021, the SADC organ troika on politics, defence and security deployed a ministerial fact-finding mission to analyse the situation.
The network issued their statement following the conclusion of the SADC extraordinary troika summit in Windhoek on Tuesday.
PEACE EFFORTS
President Hage Geingob, the current chairperson of this SADC organ, convened the troika meeting to discuss the political and security situation in the region. The summit called on the government of Eswatini to urgently initiate a process of national dialogue and urged all stakeholders to participate peacefully in the process.
In a communique issued after their summit in Windhoek, the troika condemned all killings and damage to property in Eswatini, while reiterating SADC's condemnation of the killing of Maseko.
The summit noted with deep concern the unstable security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
With regard to DRC, the solidarity network reiterated that the conflict in Eastern DRC remains a 'resource curse conflict' whose permanent solution lies in the demilitarisation of Eastern DRC and the reversal of neo-liberal domination and armed competition for the DRC's natural resources.
Meanwhile, the network applauded SADC efforts in support of reforms to consolidate democracy and stability in the kingdom of Lesotho.
The SADC organ troika has commended the people of Lesotho for conducting peaceful elections. The summit further welcomed the commitment made by Lesotho prime minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane for prioritising the implementation and completion of the comprehensive national reform process.
In respect to the conflict in Northern Mozambique, the solidarity network acknowledged the peace-building efforts of the SADC standby force mission in Mozambique.
"However, we plead for sustained collective action to address the root causes of the security and humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique, which are embedded in the region's continued failure to restrain the excesses of neo-colonial economic greed and domination," it said. The organ, which is managed on a troika basis, is responsible for promoting peace and security in the bloc.
