The European Union (EU) Mission in Eswatini has given a thumbs up to His Majesty King Mswati III’s intervention, in his capacity as the incoming Chairperson of the SADC Troika, in the Madagascar conflict.
A fortnight ago, His Majesty expressed deep concern over the unconstitutional removal of Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina, calling for an immediate return to constitutional normalcy in that country.
The statement followed a meeting between the King and President Rajoelina, during which the Madagascar leader briefed His Majesty on the current situation in his country.
EU Ambassador Karsten Mecklenburg this week acknowledged that on the continent there were many conflicts closer to the hearts of Africans than the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war, which directly affects European countries.
He said the EU was mindful and appreciative of His Majesty in his role as incoming Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, where he is making efforts to engage in settling conflicts in different parts of Africa.
“This has been further shown by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister when representing him at the AU Summit Peace and Security Committee and also at SADC, by pointing out conflicts in Sudan, DRC and Madagascar.
“His Majesty has been vocal about the unconstitutional overthrowing of governments. International law is to a large extent dependent on the behaviour of countries,” he noted.
Mecklenburg acknowledged that His Majesty has strongly rejected military coups in some African countries.
“This is the kind of message I appreciate and this is the kind of message we want to support. That is a system that respects international law; that respects sovereignty; and that respects the desire of the people.
“On the Russia/Ukraine war, I do not want Eswatini or any other country to take sides because I understand that such is difficult and is also not the way that Eswatini engages on international conflicts.”
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However, he said he understood what the country was doing in conflicts elsewhere by insisting on and calling for peaceful solutions.
He suggested that for Eswatini, the approach can only be to insist on dialogue — stopping the fighting through engagement and finding solutions to end civilian killings and atrocities.
“That is the step that can be taken by most African countries that do not want to take sides in the ongoing war,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Rajoelina, who had been democratically elected in December 2023 in elections widely recognised as free and fair, was ousted in an unconstitutional manner — an act that goes against principles upheld by SADC, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
