The United States on Wednesday called on authorities in Eswatini to conduct a
"transparent and impartial"
investigation into the brutal murder of a prominent lawyer and opponent of the kingdom, Thulani Maseko.
"We offer our condolences to his family and loved ones, and we call for a full, transparent and impartial investigation, and for those responsible to be held to account,"
the department's spokesperson told reporters. US State, Ned Price.
Human rights violations
He stressed that the United States remained
"deeply concerned"
by the violence in the kingdom and called for a
"date to be set for an inclusive national dialogue as soon as possible"
.
Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer and an influential opponent in Eswatini (ex-Swaziland), was shot dead Saturday evening at his home, hours after a speech of defiance by the king against opponents of his absolute rule.
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A small landlocked country, Eswatini has been governed since 1986 by Mswati III, criticized for an extravagant lifestyle and regularly accused of human rights violations.
The United Nations and the European Union have also expressed their concerns about the situation in the small southern African country, while Russia, through the voice of its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, visiting the kingdom, offered to train its security personnel.