The land-locked Kingdom of Swaziland has a population of just 1.1 million. This small country is often overlooked despite having Africa’s longest running state of emergency of 35 years.

The people of Swaziland suffer from extreme poverty (70 per cent of the population live on less than $1 a day) and more than 1 in 4 Swazis are living with HIV and AIDS. Swaziland is Africa's only autocratic absolute monarchy. Political parties are banned, political and civic activists are imprisoned, and the judiciary, media and other authoritative bodies are controlled by the monarchy.

You can find out more about the situation in Swaziland in ACTSA's briefing paper, which examines the country's history, political situation, human and labour rights and HIV and AIDS crisis.

• ACTSA briefing paper - Swaziland (Dec 2008)

• Executive summary - Swaziland (Dec 2008)

Democracy and human rights in Swaziland

ACTSA works to raise the profile of the struggle in Swaziland, campaigning for democracy and the respect of basic human rights in Swaziland.

Working with civil society organisations in Swaziland, we campaign to raise issues of democratic and human rights abuses within the UK, Commonwealth and EU, as well as supporting initiatives to pressure the Government of Swaziland and its neighbours on issues affecting the country.

Downloads

• ACTSA briefing paper on Swaziland

• ACTSA briefing - Executive Summary

• Amnesty International report on Suppression of Terrorism Act

Links

• Swaziland Country Profile

• Civil society in Swaziland

• Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa

• 02.10 - Some women in Swaziland can now own property

• 02.10- Police abduct student leaders

• 09.09 - ACTSA welcomes release of Swazi political leader