THE US Senate has passed a resolution passage condemning what has been termed the human rights record of the government of Eswatini and the killing of Eswatini human rights activist Thulani Maseko.
On April 18, 2024, the Senate passed a simple resolution encouraging a full investigation into the matter of Thulani Maseko.
In a positive light, the paragraph about sanctions was entirely removed.
It is important to note that this simple resolution will not be forwarded to Congress and constitutes the final action by the Senate. Moreover, it does not represent the official position of the United States Government.
This follows successful engagements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Pholile Shakantu who travelled to Washington last year to engage with Senator Christopher A. Coons who introduced the resolution on April 26, 2023.
As a simple resolution, this measure is used for internal chamber affairs and expresses the sentiments of a single house. It is crucial to recognize that simple resolutions can be misinterpreted or sensationalized by entities spreading misinformation and political propaganda.
Shakantu said the Kingdom of Eswatini welcomes the removal of the sanctioned language from the original formulation, as it promotes a positive and constructive engagement between two friendly nations. The revised resolution provides a solid foundation for future cooperation between the two countries.
A simple resolution does not have the force of law and requires joint application by both the Senate and Congress to be binding. This resolution does not constitute an Act and therefore has no legal implications or enforceable provisions.
Shakantu, a stalwart advocate of Eswatini’s distinctive democracy, reiterated her commitment to fostering understanding among Eswatini’s partners and key stakeholders about the nuances of Eswatini’s governance model.
In the original proposal on April 26, 2023, Coons had lobbied to encourage the Secretary of the Treasury to consider targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act in the context of Eswatini.
The resolution passed however came back differently and stipulated that: “The amendment (No. 1819) was agreed to as follows: Purpose: To remove sanctions language.”
