At the end of a two-week Sibaya gathering in Eswatini, King Mswati III of Eswatini has appointed Russell Mmemo Dlamini as the new head of government, according to a statement posted on the Eswatini government page on social network X (formerly Twitter).
"His Majesty King Mswati III has appointed Russell Mmemo Dlamini as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the period 2023-2028," the statement read. "His Majesty has made the announcement on the final day of Sibaya23 at Ludzidzini Royal Residence."
Sibaya in Eswatini refers to the annual general meeting of the nation, which can be called at any time to express the views of the nation on pressing and controversial national issues.
The appointment of Dlamini, who previously served as director-general of the African kingdom's National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), as head of government followed parliamentary elections in Eswatini on September 29.
The kingdom was called Swaziland until the spring of 2018, when the king renamed the country to its pre-colonial name of Eswatini. It is located in Southern Africa and covers an area of 17 thousand square kilometers, making it the 153rd country in the world in terms of size.
Bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, Eswatini is a landlocked country. The population of the kingdom reaches 1.17 million people.