2 Swazi activists missing

2010-09-07 14:03

Johannesburg - Two pro-democracy campaigners were missing after Swazi police raided a meeting of union and human rights activists on Monday and arrested 50 people, labour officials and rights groups said.

Police swooped on a hotel in the capital Mbabane where activists were meeting to plan Tuesday protests demanding more democracy in the tiny nation of 1.1 million, sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique.

The demonstrations were timed to coincide with the anniversary of Swaziland's independence from Britain in 1968.

"It was a meeting of South African and Swazi pro-democracy campaigners. Foreigners were arrested and taken to the border and all except two people were released," said Patrick Craven, spokesperson for South Africa's labour federation Cosatu.

Swaziland is southern Africa's last absolute monarchy and all political parties are banned under King Mswati III, who has the authority to appoint the prime minister and dissolve parliament.

Mswati is frequently criticised by rights groups as a dictator who runs the country as his own personal fiefdom. Swaziland is plagued by regular food shortages and has one of the world's highest HIV/Aids rates.

Craven said police had refused to divulge the whereabouts of the two missing union officials, one Swazi and the other South African. Swazi police were not immediately available for comment.

A journalist covering the event was among those arrested in the swoop, which was condemned by Amnesty International.

"The arbitrary arrest of these political activists, lawyers, trade unionists and journalists is nothing short of police harassment and intimidation," the group said in a statement.

- Reuters