WHY SO MUCH MILITARY TRAINING?

For a kingdom, often described by King Mswati III and the sycophants who support him, as ‘peaceful’ there’s an awful lot of military training going on at present.

Last week it was announced that Swaziland and the Russian Ministry of Defence had signed a deal to train Swazi soldiers in Russia.

A press release from the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Mozambique said Russia would provide training in a number of military disciplines that include medicine, artillery and engineering.

This is the latest in a number of ‘deals’ Swaziland has done with foreign powers – most of them with dubious human rights records – to train military personnel.

In December 2010, it was revealed that Swazi military forces were to be sent to Pakistan for training. The details of the training were not released, but in view of the ongoing civil strife in the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati, sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, one could be forgiven for concluding that the training was in how to deal with an uprising of a civilian population.

Pakistan’s military has an appalling record when it comes to attacking its own citizens. In the same week the Swaziland – Pakistan deal was announced, Wikileaks revealed the United States was concerned about massive human right violations in Pakistan, especially where suspected ‘terrorists’ were concerned.

As we know King Mswati and Barnabas Dlamini, the man he unconstitutionally-appointed Prime Minister, label anyone who opposes them ‘terrorists’.

The deal was made at about the same time that Wikileaks also revealed that a weapons deal worth US$60 million had been blocked by the UK Government amid fears that the Swaziland King would use the guns, troop carriers and helicopters against the Swazi people.

Pakistan is not the only country that has helped to train military personnel for the king. The king’s eldest son, Prince Sicalo was undergoing several years training as a military pilot in Libya when the present rebellion started. As soon as trouble began, Sicalo ran away home to his father’s arms.

Sicalo’s brother Prince Lindani has also undergone military training abroad. In his case he went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he passed out as an officer cadet in August 2010.

So, all that amounts to a lot of military training, But what is it all for? Swaziland is not about to declare war on another state and it is highly unlikely it’s about to be invaded. King Mswati should tell us what’s going on.

Otherwise, we must inevitably reach the conclusion that the military are being trained to keep the king in power should an uprising start.

SWAZI PRINCE RUNS AWAY FROM LIBYA

The ruling elite in Swaziland is acting as if there is a major crisis with the news that Prince Sicalo, King Mswati III’s first-born son, is training in Libya as a soldier.

Officials at the ‘highest level’ are reported to be ‘working around the clock to ensure the safe evacuation’ of the prince out of the country.

Prince Sicalo has been in Libya for a number of years undergoing ‘specialist’ military training with the murderous regime, headed by Colonel Muammar Gadaffi.

This week, a popular uprising against Gaddafi has seen many hundreds of protestors killed by Gadaffi’s troops and reportedly also by foreign mercenaries, some from sub-Saharan Africa.

Official sources have refused to reveal what military training the prince, who is a lieutenant in the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF), was undertaking, claiming it is ‘sensitive’ information.

Whatever the training, Prince Sicalo is showing his true colours. He is a professional soldier on secondment to Libya and the first moment there is a fight, he runs home to Daddy. That’s not very brave. But I’ll bet that when he eventually makes it back to Swaziland, the media will hail him as a ‘hero’.

At least the Swaziland ruling elite aren’t claiming that the Swazi people are holding their breath for news of the Prince’s safety.

But, according to the Times of Swaziland, an independent newspaper in the kingdom, ruled by King Mswati, the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa, ‘a high level committee has been constituted in the country to coordinate and ensure the safe return of Prince Sicalo.

It added, ‘the committee comprises senior officials within the King’s Office, Tibiyo Taka Ngwane, Prime Minister’s office, USDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.’

Clifford Mamba, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Prince Sicalo was still in Libya, and there were efforts to evacuate him.

‘The situation involving His Royal Highness being in Libya at this time is manageable. We are working on getting him out, and one way or the other we will get him out safely,’ he said.

See also

KING’S FRIEND TURNS ARMY ON PEOPLE

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/kings-friend-turns-army-on-people.html

KING’S FRIEND TURNS ARMY ON PEOPLE

One of Swaziland King Mswati III’s closest allies has used his army to attack his own people, killing hundreds of them, in a desperate bid to cling on to power.

Thousands of prodemocracy protestors are on the streets of Libya to force Colonel Muammar Gaddafi from office.

King Mswati is a close ally of Gaddafi and has made trips to Libya for talks about securing business and financial aid for the kingdom Mswati rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.

One of the king’s sons, Prince Sicalo, is believed to be presently undergoing intensive military training in Libya.

Gaddafi has been caught up in the wave of prodemocracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. His preferred method of staying in power is to slaughter protestors. At least 200 have been shot by his troops, but many more might have been killed. Reports from Libya are incomplete because of a news blackout in the country.

King Mswati is a political ally and appears also to be a close friend of Gaddafi. In 2001, when King Mswati was struck down with a mystery illness (widely believed at the time to be caused by deliberate poisoning) Gaddafi flew a team of doctors to Swaziland to treat the king.

In 2009, Gaddafi sent the king six camels as ‘a token of friendship’.

Barnabas Dlamini, the illegally-appointed Prime Minister of Swaziland, was in Libya as recently as October 2010.

King Mswati must be keeping a close eye on his friend’s problems in Libya to see what he can learn from the situation that might help him to save his own skin.

In Swaziland, there is now open talk that ‘social unrest’ might come soon.

In his budget speech on Friday (18 February 2011), Finance Minister Majozi Sithole said it was possible that the government ‘will no longer be able to pay salaries in the near future, with devastating potential consequences for our civil servants, our banks, our businesses and social peace’.

On the same day, the AFP news agency reported Vincent Dlamini, secretary general Swaziland National Public Services and Allied Workers’ Union, saying, ‘If the economy goes down, people will rise up for political change.’

Musa Hlophe, coordinator of the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations (SCCCO), writing in the Times Sunday yesterday (20 February 2011), predicted, ‘A looming conflict here in Swaziland is gathering clouds as a storm, but the authorities do not seem to appreciate it and neither is the general public paying any attention to it.’

He added, ‘The people simply want change now!’

Plans are underway for a national protest in April 2011. A group calling itself the 12 April Uprising has set up a Facebook site where it is calling for mass demonstrations. ‘We pledge, as a group, to create in the next few months the biggest mass movement that the country has ever seen. 2011 will also mark the year when we will topple the royalist regime.’

Mass protest is not unusual in Swaziland. What is different here is the very explicit call to ‘topple’ King Mswati.

See also

‘FACEBOOK’ CALL TO OUST SWAZI KING

http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/02/facebook-call-to-oust-swazi-king.html

HAS MAMBA BEEN LEFT OUT TO DRY?

Lutfo Dlamini, Swaziland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has distanced himself from his senior civil servant who spoke out against Col Muammar Gadaffi of Libya, one of King Mswati’s close allies.

And, Clifford Mamba, Principal Secretary at the Ministry, who is at the centre of the storm, is keeping his head down and refusing to speak to the media.

Meanwhile, the Swazi Government is in no hurry to come to Mamba’s aid. Government mouthpiece Macanjana Motsa and her assistant Sabelo Dlamini told inquiring reporters to talk to Mamba.

Lutfo Dlamini ‘repeatedly’ refused to comment on Mamba’s position when contacted by the Times of Swaziland, the kingdom’s only independent daily newspaper.’

According to the newspaper, Dlamini said ‘they were going to investigate the authenticity of the leaked document’, but told the newspaper it should speak only with Mamba.

But, Mamba repeatedly refused to answer his phone or respond to a text message, the Times reported.

The row hit Swaziland last Friday (31 December 2010) after I reported that Wikileaks had published a secret cable sent by Maurice Parker, the then US Ambassador to Swaziland. Parker reported that Mamba had criticised Gaddafi’s time as Chair of the African Union (AU). Mamba reportedly said Gaddafi had ‘put the AU secretariat into chaos, by-passing all protocol and the institutional framework’ during his time in charge. Gaddafi was Chair of the AU for one year until January 2010.

King Mswati has been an ally of Libya for some years and has been trying to get business and development aid for Swaziland. At least one of King Mswati’s sons, Prince Sicalo, is undergoing military training in Libya. Barnabas Dlamini, Swaziland’s illegally-appointed Prime Minister, visited the prince while he was in Libya in October 2010.

In 2009, Col Gadaffi sent the king six camels as a token of his friendship.