Eswatini PM Under Fire Over Secret Deal to Host U.S. Deportees

Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini is under intense pressure after secretly agreeing to a deal with former U.S. President Donald Trump to house five foreign convicts in the kingdom’s overcrowded prisons, a move critics say is unconstitutional and dangerous.

A legal challenge filed by the Eswatini Litigation Centre (ELC), along with South African and local civil society groups, claims the agreement bypassed both cabinet and parliament. “This deal is irrational and unlawful,” said ELC director Mzwandile Masuku, who also questioned how much Eswatini was paid, if anything, and why there’s been no public disclosure.

The five men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen, and Laos were deported from the U.S. under a “third-country detainee” programme after their home countries allegedly refused to take them. They are now in solitary confinement at Matsapha Maximum Correctional Facility, with no access to lawyers or clear legal status.

Eswatini’s prison system is already at 171% capacity, raising further concerns about cost and national security. South Africa has lodged a formal protest, warning that the prisoners could easily cross the border.

Jamaica has publicly disputed claims it refused to accept its citizen, adding to suspicions about the legitimacy of the deal.

Government lawyers argue that international agreements fall under the authority of the monarchy and dismissed the case as lacking urgency. However, critics say the secretive nature of the agreement and its potential to harm regional relations demand immediate scrutiny.

Despite calls, the issue was not discussed at the recent SADC summit in Madagascar. Human rights groups are urging regional leaders not to stay silent.

“The U.S. is bypassing due process, and Africa must not be complicit,” said Anneke Meerkotter of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.

The case will be heard in the Eswatini High Court on August 22.