Eswatini government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the matter is being treated with the seriousness it warrants. The Eswatini army spokesperson, Sandile Gwebu, described the situation as a “diplomatic issue” being handled by both countries but declined to provide further operational details. The U.S. State Department stated it was aware of the shootings and confirmed that the “affected U.S. personnel are safe.” The department added that it is working with the Eswatini government on the investigation.
Army sources told Swaziland News that the shooting occurred at a military roadblock. According to these sources, the soldiers mistakenly identified a vehicle driven by a U.S. diplomat as an unauthorized vehicle attempting to avoid the checkpoint. The soldiers made a U-turn near the roadblock, leading to the accidental discharge of weapons. Neither the Eswatini government nor the U.S. State Department immediately identified the specific individuals involved or explained their official capacity, though the local media reported one was a diplomat.
Eswatini, a small kingdom of approximately 1.3 million people located on the border between South Africa and Mozambique, is ruled by King Mswati III. The country is one of only 12 nations globally, and the only one in Africa, that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a territory China claims. This unique diplomatic status has placed Eswatini under significant pressure from Beijing in recent years.
In a separate development highlighting the region’s security climate, China’s foreign ministry recently advised its citizens to leave Eswatini due to “security risks,” citing rampant cyber fraud and criminal activities associated with gambling. The advice was not linked to the shooting incident. Earlier this year, China excluded Eswatini from a tariff waiver for African countries, and in April, Beijing was accused of trying to derail a planned visit by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te to the kingdom. Lai eventually completed the trip in May without prior announcement. The Eswatini government has not commented on the Chinese advisory or the detention of 40 Chinese nationals reported by local media, whose lawyers have alleged the re-arrests were unlawful following court-ordered releases.
