Southern African bloc says Eswatini king open to dialogue after protests

FILE PHOTO: Swaziland's King Mswati III addresses the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., in September 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo/File Photo

MBABANE (Reuters) - Southern African regional bloc SADC said on Saturday that Eswatini's King Mswati III - Africa's last absolute monarch - had accepted the need for a national dialogue after pro-democracy protests intensified this month.

Envoys from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and the regional group visited Eswatini on Thursday and Friday and met the king, the prime minister, civil society organisations, trade unions and others, SADC said in a statement.