Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Swaziland.

​The British Government is aware of unconfirmed reports of human rights violations during recent protests in Eswatini. We continue to call for respect of the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association enshrined in Eswatini’s constitution. The appointment of a resident High Commissioner to Eswatini in July 2019 has given us the opportunity to deepen our engagement with the Eswatini government. Our High Commissioner has raised the need for proportionate response to protest with senior officials in the Eswatini Government. On 24 October he also raised with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the need for any allegations of human rights violations to be investigated.