through kenya's government, it's not something belonging to the museum, something which will be bring, which will be, which will be able to bring on, not only joy, battery, believe it will change the 5th, it will change with the, the fortunes of the whole community. thank you. thank you. yeah, i didn't go there. a few people remaining here who were raised on the belief system of the golgi. this man kit joe said can be our desa has died since we met him. if the garage is to come home and have meaning here, there isn't much time left high on the o. malcolm web cam. yeah. ah, hello the headlines and i'll just 0. all us troops on nato troops have pulled out of the background airbase and i've got to saw nearly 20 years. after arriving. the

taliban has seized more territory in recent weeks. a complete withdrawal of us forces is expected by september. the 11th and a small us contingent will remain in the capital to help secure the u. s. embassy and other key positions. canadian emergency officials are trying to account for more than a 1000 people who are forced to flee a wildfire on wednesday. 90 percent of the village of linton has been destroyed after an unprecedented heat wave. thousands of people in the philippines are also being forced to leave their homes after a volcano started steering steam and talk. the gas south of the capitol vanilla, nearly $15000.00 people from nearby villages are being moved to safe areas. small has blankets. had manila with people there worn to stay indoors. jemila dog has more from towel, health workers, whether experts have also recorded, you know, one of the highest levels of so for oxide emissions this week. this is why a lot of communities who are living you're been advised to where you know masks and

to stay indoors, but this is quite difficult because about 2 towns have been evacuated since yesterday. that's about 14000 residents, about 400 families now scattered, taking shelter in about 11 evacuation centers from a us president, donald trump's company and its chief financial finance officer being prosecuted for what's been described as the sweeping and audacious tax fraud. the organization and alan wizell burg denied the charges us department of justice and announcer will temporarily hold all federal executions. attorney general mary garland said he wants to review the policies and procedures introduced by the trump administration . portugal is imposing a curfew for its capital. lisbon and several other cities on thursday recorded 2 and a half 1000 new corona virus cases, the highest number since mid february. those headlines inside story is coming up. next. i am sorry,

should be about raising prices this entirely down to the time we bring you the stories and developments that are rapidly changing the world. we live in time in that setting that i had made as the task of fixing a war torn economy. counting the cost on al jazeera the protest for democracy in africa, law, absolute monarchy. the king of s y p, any spend lavishly while most in his country live in poverty. will he listen to the call for change this inside story? ah, ah hello and welcome to the show i'm sammy's a than. that's what he is one of the world's last absolute monarchies,

kingdom swati has ruled the kingdom previously known as swaziland for 35 years bought for the past week, people have been defying curve, used to demand democratic reforms that angry at widespread poverty while the king spends millions on private jets and luxury cars, opposition groups, se soldiers of killed dozens of protesters, and the government has denied reports. the king has fled to south africa. that's what he and his regional allies of calling for political dialogue to come. the rest will bring in our guests in a moment. first, this report like say, o'brien anger and frustration. and it's what he crowds built barricades confirmed tires despite an overnight curfews, while the opposition's colon a tipping point for the nation, the demonstrations like this a rare, and the more landlocked country,

formerly known fatherland. but the saint has been simmering for years. much of it focused on kingdom swati, africa, his last absolute monarch, and one of the few remaining in the world that he was crowned in 1986 aged just 18 and has unfettered political power. he has 15 wives. oh, and has been criticized for his lavish spending. almost denise, what, teeny live in poverty. we are in any way so much the bread by the government. sounds good. which over time, if our government know you get out of that, is that the i mean that the one missing mama, the protest is they, they want democracy, political parties, a band. and even though people are allowed to vote from in the parliament,

the opposition says they not elections. more selection of people signed off by the king. because of the young people didn't want to be part of the government in the want to part of the government. us citizen like the rest of us in court with everyone of us from shops in it to biggest cities have been lucid and others say on fire. the military being out to enforce the curfew, which the government says is to ensure the safety and security of residents. oh, that's good. but the opposition say some protest has been killed and many others wounded. the acting prime minister says he's open to hearing the people complain that demonstration isn't the way to do it. when isn't that been done? the government has opened an email address. where must,

what can continue to direct their concerns and petition for decades. king and floss is being portrayed as a deeply popular monarch. now the government's being forced to deny reports, his fled to the country, his kingdom appears to be in crisis. and sir bryan al jazeera. ah, let's bring our guests into the show. joining us on the phone from us, what do you need them? them? good. see mccain? the leader of the opposition put demo party in cape town. we have senior political and country risk analyst men, the logo, he works at signal risk and in london, christopher van down research fellow with the africa program at chatham house. welcome to all if i could start with them gacy. first of all, miss martinez. this is of course not the 1st time i'm langon. see that we've had protests in a swat teeny, all the protest different this time round, though. indeed,

quite different this time at out. this time around sloppy is placed with a generation of young people who had to take some time to look at themselves and decide their top few job day one of the times. and they added, i have data point about it cannot be business as usual, and they've got to take a step and decisive step to load the final blow into the life of these even jim menzies, it sounds from walton dc is saying that this is quite serious how i cure all the reports. the protesters are being shot dead. yeah. so due to the closure of the internet and restrictions, communications, the number of casualties con,

be entirely verified. but what i'm hearing from my so on the ground. some of them law, family members, they can confirm that the has been some bottom and violence rather than that has been inactive on the protest is by, by the, by the army. and by police know, and this really is a trajectory or a tendency that we have seen amongst s, y b as security personnel throughout the range of kingdom. so i think this tendency to be to respond with co action to any kind of dissidence and any kind of grievances that are being publicly, by the civilian population. christ, it seems this time round the protest have been initially sparked by that government decree banning any petition for democratic reform. what prompted them to issue such a decree?

so what prompted them to issue a decrease to restrict democratic reform? i think it comes out of the prices that have been bubbling up following an incident earlier in may involving students in east genie and off the back of that, we've seen this growing rise in process so it's not just, this is not just what's been happening in june, this has been growing for some time. think what's important here is to build on what has been saying is the importance of the role of the youth in the protest and where we've seen protest in the past that have been organized either by the trade unions or by others that have be very specifically targeted towards democratic reforms, but organized in a, a, kind of, in a strict away, they seem to be far free protest and we're seeing people say things and seen people

do things is a little bit unprecedented. in my question, if you're, if you're the, the government, why would you issue a decree to ban anyone even submitting a petition? why wouldn't you at least go through the motions except the petition and make the kind of statements it seems the government is now making saying, hey we, we hear what you guys are saying. and we're looking into why she's such a decree. because i think it's exactly what your, your guess from cape town has been saying, which is that there is a clear memo for the government of east fatina throughout the last couple of decades, which is when they think that things are going when the, when the pressure is starting to boil up than they clamped down. what different here is that they tried that approach and they tried to get ahead of this and they tried to issue that degree and they tried to cross it. but actually what's going on here at the moment is different to what's happened in the past, and they haven't been able to cautious in the same way. and it's resulted in the

violence on the streets that we've seen. right? it does seem like things are escalating them long gacy, our protest is still calling simply for reform and of corruption and so on. or are they now calling for a complete end of the monarchy they're calling from the just as indeed escalated to the issue that they want in total pollution meant of this thing of them or not. but just to add on what crease will say, why don't we as well in this situation is the fact that the teeth of the tea have been leaving and posting on social media variables seen in the face of grinding pover for the odyssey. and since this thing was hold on, the social media and the people were reduced to spread the data when they see that they're mainly please seeing the point where it became too many young

people, that this is not just the family, but this is an institution of power plants that live off the sweat and blood of the or not if it isn't. so let me know. 42 got had been sick today. effect that's been swap the popular king among the people of plaza. and it has not been true in vide for this class, because that's only make sure that they clam down on any form of organization. so we checked planes, why they took the decision to band for delivery of conditions. because through the process of delivering, producing people who are reading and so i always know that when was organized, it present it to them. let me play, let me play devil's advocate here and i should point out as well. we did reach out

to the authorities in swati and invite the government spokesperson on or government official onto the show, but unfortunately we didn't hear back from them. however, let me try and play devil's. i'm good a little bit here and present to the government line. they say that the authority say that they simply applying law and order. this is not about suppressing people. this is not about squashing people. this is about establishing law and order. as you can see, they would point out and some of the pictures you've seen looting. they want to prevent the country from descending into chaos. had your sponsor that i wish that it provided for you. the images of what was happening when the people who had anybody in the petition it was that was never violent when people were delivered in provisions violence that the government bend the delivery of petition. and when the people interested on defining that, been to go and petition the police splendid with brutal,

both fighting and shooting, and leaving the times live live on peaceful protest, whose only client was to be on be about a petition. but i think it is important to speak to the excuse that they used when bending the delivery of these positions, which was this. but of course, in the us to we dictating scheme and hope that not lives and thinks that a party who is having huge body and close friends inside them things now. so it's not about people get out of it is about denying the poor, the opportunity to gather and express their frustration with your team and talking about public appearances by the king men's. he why haven't we seen the can make any public appearance. now make any statement when you know the countries clearly been gripped by some serious term, or i think more than anything if i'm guy,

and she is unwillingness to come and step up and account for the actions of his government. and i think there might be an element of the elemental and he's trying to wait for the situation to sit down and fall. i guess this whole operation of law and order to take it school was and i get in his hopes to, to, to establish some degree of calm before he comes out and says, ok, i am like negotiated whether or not this will arise during the circumstances that is still on the balance historically as louise, he has no, i mean pro democracy sentiments. what do you mean are not something you, you know, it's a sentiment that folks have help decades on end. and the monarchy has been able to write out combination of speak and carry mechanism,

and instances of unrest. there is a tendency by the monarch to keep quiet until things on order. so it is no surprise to us that the king has kept silent while his generals, while his police officials do the work, call the population down and then when things are low but comma, he'll probably come out and speak out. all right, christopher, have. so we should explain some of the political background to this story as what the need is a monarchy where the king is above the law and has absolute political power, right? this is the environment, the political environment we're talking about. yes, so this goes back to the, the period in which is 15 year old and swaziland claimed us independence from the united kingdom. it was a protect it. and when that independence came, and king bruiser whose between his father there was a process of kind of nation building the involved

a kind of strong cultural element of separating aside what is kind of typically is with teeny versus south africa and creating that divide of trying to politician against what was then apartheid south africa in creating this very distinct and separate country. and so the king's authority are the absolute monarch has been partly built upon this building of a culture and a cultural identity for the country and his place within it. right. so there has been some form of democracy within the current system, but this is what in the king has, has came to the form of democracy under the tinker system, where you have people up appointed, you have some elections, but as your, as your piece at the beginning said, it's largely a selection process, but it's still under the control of, of the king himself. now, whether have been protest or precious the full, including,

or especially around election times and from international corners around election time. they have forced times a reaction from the king. for example, during the head of the 2013 elections is when he coined vista monoxide cool democracy as a way of categorizing the political and right that let me bring a v c. and under this point that christopher was talking about the degree of, shall we say, a political process, but political parties were banned in $973.00. so how do political parties like yours operate 20, what am i just crazy? it's quite a lot, you know, political parties were banned in 1970 period decree, but the pod to that i come from and put demo does not even fall among

the bent as that was taken by the team on put them in 2008 to criminalize put demos away approved guy had to do that. to me. i'm a friends and so i've lived to belong to put them or to be seen, wedding, anything that is good. i mean to them. and they say history to the because for the long time i put them all the only portent political weapon in the hands of that democracy in people of i need to do that when it came to realize that the most effective way of shutting them out of the people of london is to pass some production of terrorism at that effectively, and to demo and you would leak. right, so avenues of being blank. let's talk a little bit about economics. menzies, to what extent is economic hardship driving the discontent? some estimates for poverty,

it above 60 percent and unemployment depending on how you measure it at 40 percent . absolutely, absolutely. i think we can discuss the importance of economic factors being a key driver of the unrest at the moment we've seen. that's why the states struggle to pay its workers, and that's led to a whole class of protests that, that occurred prior to this, that we see. the state has struggled to pay teachers. the state has struggled to deliver services all the while. as he mentioned, the king and his close circle has been living opulent life. so meant that you can call it a drawing. i think in the sense, yes, i think there is a nation or least of con, demands. you know, previously what we saw from outside was the strike action was relatively disparate . but when the prime minister issue that they pre on the 24th of may,

they seem to be coming together. but at the same time, do i think it's important to been mind that pro democracy sentiments have been simmering and it's looking for a while now. and i think that 24th of may decrease was to speak. the spurred that crick, the size of this wasn't people's intense. and then of course, the whole corona virus pandemic, which has exacerbated social economic concerns. why do you need all the while the king and his president, all the kids have been living by the state also received various channels of funding. for instance, they have yet to account funding received from. but i admit, and all this, right, these crash the old building off in the public key. no doubt. yes. let's bring in my guess is that we've just got a few minutes. we've heard opposition figures them. louisa calling for south africa

to impose sanctions. is that where the opposition is going? is it, is it counting on pressure for from regional axes and international axes? now indeed, we are calling for decisive pressure from regional and international play. we're calling for target. it's fun. she, again, that king and close the close of the who are responsible for policing. this was because it is true that these uprising is economy issues that king of been through the government taking lot of responsible loan because they realize that they're empty to the core of the nation. the only way to access that is to d was through that responsible and the relation alone. yes. was calling for the region. yes. was calling for the international community by tomorrow and maybe was calling for the criminal charges to be preferred in the king and the government because of all of the med that have been committed during these. a lot of people

have ideas. and once that doctor said that the international community would be shrugged by the figure of the people who have been tooth randomly by what the soldier endings can actually consort the turing. this process, right, christopher 90 percent of 14, these imports come from south africa, 70 percent of his exports go to the republic. the country relies, this was, he knew, relies on a then assistance from countries like the united states. how do you read the the mood right now in regional and international castles, towards a 14 meeting is very important question. and when we wrote our report now a years ago, we called it was it, and southern africa forgotten crisis for exactly this reason that this has been bubbling along for a long time. and we were trying to gone at some international attention on it. because for exactly to point out the international capital,

this is not high up on the agenda and it was really interesting at the moment, 2 things, one as i'm and jeezy has said, you know, there's, this is a situation that has come out of the fact that the money that has been going into is retaining, has not been used to deliver development and citizens in the country, seeing what's going on elsewhere, and then not feeling the benefits of development in the country and the point to one person, which is the monarchy. now the relationship with that because always been very complex for multiple reasons. per demo has a relationship with consulting to sit within the tripartite alliance in south africa. former president zoom. i had his own personal relationship with the king doc has long been looking at the country and in 2030 and actually made recommendations to government. this needs to be something to be, to be dealt with,

but i don't think it's been clear with in south africa what they have in terms of diplomatic resources to be able to doing gauge. and there's not really clear what he said. they suddenly got a lot of the right. i think we just got a minute left. i want to give it to mc enough. this final question we heard at the beginning of the show the call by him and see that the protestors want the monarchy to go christopher's kind of outline for us. what the mood is of regional and international actors. what do you think it's going to end with it? topple the monarchy. i think history warns against having great expectations when events like this occur as much as we might be a massive change. it doesn't necessarily mean that it will occur. and we have seen the monarchy adapt itself to varying circumstances. so i would code my enthusiasm, and i would expect it to be some kind of political process that needs the monarchy

intact, somewhat. but perhaps with some great allowances or political activity by the opposition. and by civil society at large arrive, it's been a fascinating discussion, i'm sure we could go on a lot longer, but i'm afraid we are out of time. so let's thank our guest for their wonderful contributions. no good. see, my can ya mensray and lawful. and christopher vander and thank you to for watching, you can see the show again, any time by visiting our website, al jazeera dot com for further discussion head over to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash a j inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter handle barry's at a j in the side story from me, sammy's a van and the whole inside story team here. thanks for joining us.

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