ADDIS ABABA, 13 February 2026 – Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senator Pholile Shakantu, met with Eswatini’s Ambassador to Brussels, His Excellency Sibusiswe Mngomezulu, and a delegation from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States led by Secretary-General His Excellency Moussa Saleh Batraki ahead of the African Union Summit.
His Majesty King Mswati III was invited by member states to serve as Champion for Resource Mobilisation. Through this role, His Majesty tasked a delegation led by Prime Minister His Excellency Russell Dlamini to unite member states around a shared goal: the reconfiguration and repurposing of the OACPS.
Eswatini previously held the Presidency of the OACPS Committee of Ambassadors and Council of Ministers, handing it over to the Solomon Islands in September last year.
Speaking on the delegation’s mission, Mngomezulu said, “We have been involved in negotiations where we led the Africa Regional Protocol. Eswatini also played a key role last year when we presided over the chairmanship of both the Council of Ministers and the Committee of Ambassadors of the OACPS at a time when the organisation was undergoing transformation.”
He explained that the transformation process has introduced a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at strengthening the organisation’s effectiveness and credibility. Regarding the OACPS presence at the upcoming AU Summit, Mngomezulu said the delegation is in Addis Ababa to ensure that the OACPS maintains a strategic presence and is capacitated to deliver on the objectives of the organisation and its member states.
He added, “For the constitutive act to realise its objectives, member states must demonstrate commitment. His Majesty King Mswati III has therefore been invited to assume the role of Champion for Resource Mobilisation. It is through this assignment that His Majesty has commissioned us to galvanise member states and unite them in solidarity to pursue a common purpose namely the reconfiguration and repurposing of the OACPS. That is why we are here today.”
During Eswatini’s tenure, the Committee of Ambassadors focused on restoring financial stability and institutional credibility, promoting inclusivity, dialogue and consensus building, supporting new leadership, and advancing the implementation of the Samoa Partnership Agreement. Achievements included the election of Moussa Saleh Batraki as Secretary-General, adoption of the PACTE reform initiative, nomination of a Champion for Resource Mobilisation, approval for a new OACPS headquarters, and launch of 50th anniversary activities. Preparations were also advanced for the 11th OACPS Summit of Heads of State and Government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, scheduled for March 2026.
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