US hopes to expand relations with Eswatini


Prime Minister Russell Dlamini had a telephone conversation with the United Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Secretary noted the long and friendly relations between the United States and Eswatini and his hope for expanding that partnership according to spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Rubio is an American politician, diplomat and attorney serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States secretary of state, acting administrator of USAID and acting archivist of the United States. 


The telephone conversation happen at a time when the Donald Trump administration has taken an axe to US foreign aid, eliminating 83% of programs run by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in a sweeping six-week purge that has done away with entire categories of development work that took decades to build up.

The Guardian reported that secretary of Rubio announced the massive cuts on Monday, posting that roughly 5 200 of USAID’s 6 200 global programs have been terminated. 

The surviving initiatives – less than a fifth of America’s previous aid portfolio – will be absorbed by the state department.

The mass terminations follow Trump’s January 20 executive order, freezing foreign assistance for review that he claimed pushed forward a liberal global agenda.

Eswatini is one of the countries hard hit by the freeze as dozens of non-governmental organisations relied on USAID funds for everyday operations. 

This include the fight against Gender Based Violence, health and education among others. Thousands of emaSwati hired by these NGOs like Young Heroes, Eswatini Action Group Against Abuse, World Vision and the Family Life Association of Eswatini among others stand to lose their jobs. 


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