More than 300 mercenaries from Equatorial Guinea arrived in Eswatini to suppress mass protests, a representative of pro-democracy organization "Swaziland Solidarity Network" (SSN; Swaziland is the former name of Eswatini) Lucky Lukhele told Sputnik on Thursday
JOHANNESBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) More than 300 mercenaries from Equatorial Guinea arrived in Eswatini to suppress mass protests, a representative of pro-democracy organization "Swaziland Solidarity Network" (SSN; Swaziland is the former name of Eswatini) Lucky Lukhele told Sputnik on Thursday.
"Equatorial Guinea's President is a best friend and business partner of King Mwsati the third. The Guinean soldiers are dressed in Eswatini police uniform to conceal evidence and the level of shooting can tell you that these people are highly trained. Teargas was thrown into one of the buses and when the passengers ran out of the bus they were shot on the legs and by that one can tell that if you shoot people on their legs you are a sharp shooter. King Mwsati no longer trusts his own security because the security is fed up with him," Lukhele told Sputnik.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, as chairman of one of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) bodies, appointed several special representatives to discuss he political situation in the country after the demonstrations with King of Eswatini Mswati III. The delegation is due to arrive in the south African kingdom this week.
Seven people have died in protests this month, the SSN estimates.
Protests have been taking place since the beginning of October. Some of the demands are free education, the release from custody of two members of parliament and the end of the rule of King Mswati III. Schools are closed in the country and the internet does not work.
