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‘BE CAREFUL OF RUSSIA!’

By SIBUSISO DLAMINI | 2025-01-20

The United Kingdom’s High Commissioner, Colin Wells, has urged Eswatini to exercise caution in its growing relationship with the Russian Federation.

The diplomatic bond between Eswatini and Russia, established in 1999, has recently witnessed a notable strengthening.

Eswatini is one of the 12 African countries Russia has military cooperation agreements with, alongside Burkina Faso, Burundi, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Sudan, the Central African Republic and Chad.

Last month, the largest country in the world by area, included Eswatini in its electronic visa programme, allowing Emaswati to apply for single-entry visas online rather than travelling to the Russian Embassy in Maputo.

This change follows a visa waiver agreement signed in January last year which already allowed holders of diplomatic and service passports to travel visa-free between the two nations.

High-level visits have further cemented the relationship between the two countries, as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu was in Sochi two months back participating in the Inaugural Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in November.

On the side-lines of the forum, Minister Shakantu held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who visited the country last year, in celebration of the 25-year diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Wells urged the Kingdom to tread carefully in its engagements with Russia, especially as the global security landscape grows increasingly tense.

The High Commissioner emphasised that he was not in any way attempting to dictate to Eswatini on how it should conduct its affairs and made it clear that he recognised the importance of maintaining diplomatic ties with Russia, but was only calling on the country to exercise prudence.

“Please do not misunderstand me; it is important that Eswatini has a relationship with Moscow, just like the UK does, but in all honesty, one of the biggest challenges the world faces comes from Russia,” he said.

Wells argued that Russia’s justification for the war in Ukraine is based on lies and misinformation, further pointing to Russia’s activities in the Sahel region, where mercenary groups such as Wagner have allegedly supported military regimes and exploited natural resources.

“These actions speak to why Eswatini must remain alert and why it is important that it uses its engagements to influence Russia to not undermine the principles of sovereignty and stability,” he stated.

“Russia has been a transgressor of the biological weapons convention, therefore, I would encourage Eswatini think very carefully about Russia’s influence and Russia’s intentions in the country, the region and the world as a whole,” he added.

Wells said, as a state party to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), Eswatini has a responsibility to uphold to international norms and therefore, encouraged the country to use its diplomatic influence to promote peace and stability.

“I hope Eswatini uses the relationship to influence Russia and to gently merge the Russians back to good order,” he said.

Weapons
“By this, I mean the order of respecting borders, not invading partners, not using biological weapons and to bring back stability to the European theatre, which has been destroyed by their invasion of Ukraine,” he explained.

Wells lived in Russia from 2018 to 2020, serving as the UK embassy’s Consul-General and Director of Corporate Services.

Asked about his tenure there, he shared that there was a diplomatic tit-for-tat between the two nations, but described his time in Moscow as unforgettable nonetheless.

“Within weeks of my arrival, they expelled 23 of my colleagues. To be fair, it followed our expulsion of 23 of theirs,” he explained.

“With all that said, living in a building overlooking the Kremlin, was truly spectacular,” he stated, referencing the historic complex at the heart of the Russian capital that serves as the official seat of the Russian government.

The High Commissioner said the UK strongly supports Eswatini’s call to reform the UN Security Council, to ensure greater African representation in global decision-making.

Prime Minister Russell Dlamini emphasised the calls for reform of the Council when delivering his address at the UN General Assembly on behalf of His Majesty the King the last year.

The premier recalled that Eswatini hosted the African Union meeting that resulted in the Ezulwini Consensus which articulated Africa’s common position on the reform of the UN in 2005.
Commitments

“We therefore, urge the global community to implement these long-standing commitments and ensure that all regions and peopleshave a voice in shaping our collective future,” the PM said.
According to Wells, the UK, which together with China, France, Russia, and United States, hold permanent seats at the council, fully concurs with Eswatini on the matter.

“It is clear to everyone that the current structure, which was established in 1948, no longer aligns with contemporary global dynamics,” he said.

A month before the UNGA, Africa made a compelling case for its representation during a landmark debate held in Sierra Leone.

During the debate, Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, emphasised Africa’s collective stance: two permanent seats with veto powers, if retained, and two additional non-permanent seats, as outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.

Describing the current imbalance as ‘absurd’, Bio argued that Africa’s inclusion is critical for decisions that affect its future, putting emphasis on the urgency of reform to reflect the realities of a world vastly different from the post-World War II era that shaped the UN’s structure.

Calls

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed the reform calls as well, pointing to the Council’s colonial legacy and absence of Africa from permanent membership despite comprising 28 per cent of UN Member States and hosting the majority of peacekeeping operations.

Guterres called attention to the fact that Africa’s overrepresentation in conflict yet underrepresentation in decision-making reflect systemic inequities, calling for reform as both an ethical necessity and a strategic imperative.

Speakers from Member States, including Algeria, Uganda and Mozambique, reiterated Africa’s call for two permanent seats and criticised the slow progress in negotiations.

In 2022, Russia filed an official complaint with the Council in line with the provisions of article VI of the Biological Weapons Convention, expressing long-standing concerns about military and biological activities allegedly carried out by the US department of defence in Ukrainian facilities near Russia’s borders.

Russia claimed these activities, coordinated with private companies, pose a direct threat to its biological security.

Citing documents purportedly discovered during its military operation in Ukraine, Russia alleged that these facilities, funded by the Pentagon’s Threat Reduction Agency, were involved in activities that breach the Convention BWC.

Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, referenced a 2005 agreement between the US department of defence and ukraine’s ministry of health, to substantiate the claims; making it known that Russia interpreted it as enabling activities incompatible with the BWC.

Closure
He pointed to the closure of these laboratories to international scrutiny and the absence of action from Ukraine or the United States to address Russia’s concerns despite bilateral and multilateral engagements.

While the majority of the Council remained sceptical or opposed to Russia’s claims, China was a notable ally.

While not explicitly endorsing all of Russia’s evidence, China expressed concern over the allegations raised by Russia and called for an impartial and professional investigation to verify compliance with the BWC.

China also urged the US to provide clarifications regarding its military-biological activities, particularly those outside its borders.

Other Council members however, including the UK, Ireland and France, out-rightly rejected Russia’s claims, citing lack of credible evidence.
The US and Ukraine on the other hand, reiterated that they do not have biological weapons programmes and are in full compliance with the BWC.

Russia subsequently invoked Article VI of the BWC, requesting an official investigation by the Council and submitted a draft resolution calling for an inquiry into its claims of non-compliance by Ukraine and the US.

Most of the Council’s members, however, suggested that the issue be addressed at the upcoming BWC Review Conference, scheduled to take place no later than 2027, citing insufficient evidence and procedural mechanisms already in place.

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