The Congolese Solidarity Campaign (CSC) has issued a bold and impassioned statement in support of the pro-democracy movement in Swaziland, condemning the country’s absolute monarchy and drawing powerful parallels with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s own past struggles against dictatorship.
In a statement released today, Shomari Mukandjwa, CSC spokesperson, declared unwavering solidarity with the people of Swaziland, who continue to resist the autocratic rule of King Mswati III.
The monarch, Africa’s last remaining absolute ruler, has faced increasing internal and international criticism for overseeing a system marked by economic inequality, human rights abuses, and political repression, BusinessDay reports.
“As the Congolese Solidarity Campaign, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the oppressed people of Swaziland and will continue to do so until they achieve their full liberation,” Mukandjwa stated.
The CSC compared the current situation in Swaziland to the dark days of Mobutu Sese Seko’s kleptocratic regime in Zaïre, the former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to BusinessDay.
During Mobutu’s decades-long rule, corruption, repression, and poverty dominated the lives of ordinary Congolese citizens—experiences that resonate deeply with the hardships now faced by Swazi citizens under Mswati’s rule.
“Like Mobutu Sese Seko, Mswati behaves as if he is a foreign occupier, disregarding the needs of the majority who languish in abject poverty, while those in power live extravagantly,” said Mukandjwa.
The statement highlights the dire conditions endured by many Swazis, including widespread poverty, hunger, unemployment, a failing healthcare system, and deteriorating infrastructure—conditions the CSC argues exist to sustain a small elite centered around the monarch.
Despite the dangers, Swaziland’s people have continued to demand change, staging protests, advocating for democratic reforms, and calling for the right to convene a constituent assembly to decide their own political future.
The CSC’s message underscores that true Pan-African solidarity means confronting oppression wherever it occurs. “We support your struggle not to equate our sufferings, but because all human suffering at the hands of oppression must be opposed everywhere,” Mukandjwa said.
In a stirring call to action, the CSC urged for an end to what it calls “African-to-African colonisation style governance” and called for the abolition of what it describes as a “monarchical dictatorship” in Swaziland.
“The people of Swaziland cannot be expected to be endlessly subservient to Mswati’s regime. They are human beings deserving of every right and protection,” the statement concluded.
