Mbabane — The Government of Eswatini has hit back at China’s travel advisory on the Kingdom, saying the recent arrest and investigation of foreign nationals over suspected cyber-related crimes does not make the country a security risk.
Acting Government Spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said the Government was concerned by any suggestion that Eswatini was generally unsafe, arguing that the law-enforcement operation involving mostly Chinese nationals was evidence of authorities acting against suspected criminal activity rather than a sign of failing security.
The Government said it respected China’s right to advise its citizens but rejected what it described as an unsupported portrayal of Eswatini as a country facing a generalised security threat.
Mdluli said the operation arose from suspected organised cyber-related criminal activity and had been detected, disrupted and handled through due process in accordance with Eswatini law.
Rather than pointing to weaknesses in public security, Government said the operation showed that law-enforcement agencies were alert to criminal activity and capable of responding to it.
“Far from demonstrating a failure of public security, it affirms the vigilance and effectiveness of the Kingdom’s law-enforcement institutions,” Mdluli said.
Government maintained that Eswatini remained peaceful, stable and governed by the rule of law, with citizens, residents and visitors protected by the Constitution and national laws.
It also rejected any attempt to link the isolated criminal operation to wider claims that the Kingdom had become a centre for organised crime or cybercrime.
The Government’s response comes after China issued travel guidance to its nationals in Eswatini, following the law-enforcement operation involving Chinese citizens.
Mdluli said Eswatini’s foreign policy could not be dictated by other countries and that the Kingdom would continue to make its own decisions on diplomatic relations and national affairs.
“Eswatini will not be coerced, disadvantaged or destabilised on account of the lawful exercise of its sovereignty,” he said.
Despite the sharp response, Government said it remained willing to engage with other countries, including China, on the basis of mutual respect.
As a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Eswatini said it continued to pursue relations based on friendship, sovereign equality and non-interference.
Government’s position is that the cyber-related operation should be treated as a law-enforcement matter rather than as a reflection of the overall security situation in the Kingdom.
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