ESWATINI OFFICIALLY OFF TROIKA AGENDA

HARARE – After all is said and done, the Kingdom of Eswatini is officially off the SADC Organ Troika agenda.

This comes after SADC Heads of State and Government adopted a recommendation to this effect at the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit yesterday.
The decision means that the Kingdom of Eswatini no longer has a political and security threat in terms of the standards of Troika. In simple terms, it means that the Kingdom of Eswatini no longer has an issue that can worry SADC.

Security

The SADC Troika is a governance structure within SADC that focuses on political, defence and security matters. It was established to enhance regional cooperation and stability, particularly in response to crises affecting member States. Under the system, SADC gives the Troika authority to make quick decisions that would ordinarily be taken at policy meetings scheduled at regular intervals, as well as the power to provide policy direction to SADC institutions in between regular summits. Ever since the political unrest, the Eswatini pro-democracy groups have held hopes that SADC would come through for in their calls for democratic change.

The latest developments come after the kingdom had formally submitted a request to be removed from the SADC Organ Troika agenda, following last year’s submissions by His Majesty the King to SADC leaders, to the effect that the issues leading to the June 2021 unrest were completely addressed and the situation normalised. The request was presented by Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, who represented Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu here in Harare ahead of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government which started yesterday. In her motivation, the minister said: “In light of the progress achieved and the ongoing stable political and security situation in Eswatini, I wish to reiterate our government’s request for the Kingdom of Eswatini to be favourably considered for removal from the agenda of the Organ Troika.

Stability

“We are confident that the measures undertaken and the progress reported on align with the shared goals of regional stability and prosperity.” She stated that the success of the 2023 national elections, which were overwhelmingly supported by all voting age emaSwati, under a climate of peace and stability and the positive assessment of foreign observer missions like the SADC Electoral Observation Mission, the African Union, the Commonwealth and the Russian Federation affirmed this progress by the kingdom. The minister added that the successful Sibaya (People’s Parliament), where citizens engaged directly with the leadership on national issues, highlighted the nation’s commitment to a consultative and inclusive approach to governance. “This process, this time-honoured method of dialogue, deeply rooted in our culture, has once again demonstrated the resilience and unity of emaSwati,” she said.

Steadfast

The Foreign Affairs minister said the Kingdom remained steadfast in its commitment to multilateralism and collaboration with its neighbours and the broader region. She said the principles of peace, democracy and good governance, as enshrined in the SADC Treaty and Protocols, continue to guide Eswatini’s actions, as its principles are guided by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini Act (2005). Announcing the removal of Eswatini from the Troika agenda was SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: