Eswatini Soldiers Accidentally Shoot Two US Personnel During Anti-Smuggling Operation
Two US government personnel were accidentally shot and lightly injured by Eswatini soldiers during an anti-smuggling operation in the country's northeast.
Two United States government personnel were accidentally shot by soldiers in Eswatini during an anti-smuggling operation, the small southern African kingdom's government has said.
The shooting took place late on Friday in a rural part of northeastern Eswatini, according to a government statement issued late on Monday. The two Americans suffered what were described as minor injuries.
Government spokesperson Thabile Mdluli said an investigation into the incident was already underway. In its statement, the government said the matter was "being treated with the seriousness it warrants."
Neither the Eswatini authorities nor the US State Department immediately identified the personnel involved, and no explanation was given for why they were in the area at the time of the operation.
The State Department confirmed it was aware of the shootings and said the affected US personnel were safe. It added that it was working with the Eswatini government on an investigation.
Eswatini army spokesperson Sandile Gwebu said the matter had become "a diplomatic issue" being handled by both countries, and declined to provide further details.
Eswatini is a landlocked kingdom of roughly 1.3 million people, wedged between South Africa and Mozambique. It is ruled by King Mswati III, who holds supreme political power and is Africa's last absolute monarch.