Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is one of the world’s poorest nations and the only African nation today that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

It is also one of the world’s last remaining absolute monarchy with King Mswati III having ruled over the country since 1986. With more than half of the population living in poverty, the monarch has been a constant target of criticism for his ostentatious and opulent lifestyle whilst the rest of the population struggle to survive in a nation where the average life expectancy is only 58 years.

With current pro-democracy protests roiling the country, the Emaswati are presented with the greatest opportunity to abolish this system and embark on a path to democracy. As Taiwan’s last sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa, this would be a ominous sign as Eswatini-China diplomatic formalities would all but be a foregone conclusion that would finally enable the PRC to cement their stranglehold over the continent.

For Taiwan, this would be a huge loss but for Eswatini, the abolishment of the monarchy could mean a path to greater prosperity and a vast improvement in civil and human rights for its populace. For these reasons, the world should support these pro-democracy protests and denounce the government’s crackdown on the people.

Taiwan often speaks about “freedom-loving” and “like-minded partners”. In the long run, strengthening ties with partners such as the US, Japan and the EU is vastly more important than relying on a despot to speak up for it at the UN.

China Turns up the Pressure on Eswatini to Abandon Taiwan