MBABANE - The European Union (EU) has praised Eswatini’s consistent call for peace, urging African nations to defend sovereignty, constitutional governance and international law amid global tensions.
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year, EU Ambassador to Eswatini Karsten Mecklenburg said the kingdom’s principled diplomacy demonstrates how smaller States can shape global discourse without aligning with competing power blocs.
EU Ambassador to Eswatini Karsten Mecklenburg said the kingdom’s consistent calls for peace, articulated by His Majesty King Mswati III at the United Nations in New York and reinforced by government officials, demonstrate how smaller nations can influence global discourse by defending sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional governance.
He stressed that insisting on adherence to the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions does not amount to taking sides. Rather, it protects all nations, especially smaller States, from a world governed by force.
While acknowledging that many Africans are more immediately affected by instability in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the ambassador warned that tolerating violations of sovereignty anywhere weakens protections everywhere. He rejected framing the Ukraine conflict as an East-West contest, arguing instead that it is about preserving rules designed after the Second World War to prevent borders being redrawn by force.
Regionally, he linked Eswatini’s stance to its incoming leadership role within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. He noted the kingdom’s firm opposition to unconstitutional changes of government, saying regional constitutionalism reinforces the global rules-based order.
Beyond diplomacy, the envoy said the war has intensified global economic hardship. Disruptions to Ukrainian grain exports and Russian fertiliser and energy supplies have fuelled inflation, strained food security and increased extreme poverty worldwide — effects felt sharply across developing economies.
He acknowledged that the conflict is also reshaping European priorities. Increased spending on defence, cyber security and Ukraine’s reconstruction may limit funds available for international development. Hybrid threats, including cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, have forced the EU to reassess its security posture.
Nevertheless, Mecklenburg reaffirmed Europe’s long-term commitment to Africa and to Eswatini in particular, citing ongoing cooperation in vocational training, agricultural value chains and institutional strengthening.
This year marks 50 years of official diplomatic relations between the EU and Eswatini, alongside a decade of the EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement and 40 years of King Mswati III’s reign. The ambassador described the relationship as evolving from traditional aid to broader international cooperation rooted in dialogue, trade and shared multilateral engagement.
The EU’s partnership also extends to safeguarding Eswatini’s export sectors. Amid efforts to contain foot-and-mouth disease, the bloc is supporting veterinary mobility, disease surveillance and compliance with international sanitary standards — measures essential for maintaining access to global beef markets.
Mecklenburg said such cooperation reflects a wider principle: predictable rules, whether in trade or security, benefit small states most.
In a period of mounting geopolitical tension, he argued, Eswatini’s consistent advocacy for peace, constitutional order and multilateralism positions it as a steady regional actor whose voice carries weight beyond its size.
As the Russia-Ukraine war marks four years on Tuesday, the EU Ambassador to Eswatini, Karsten Mecklenburg, has urged African countries to replicate His Majesty King Mswati III's call for peace. (Pics: Stanley Khumalo)