JOHANNESBURG Jan 13 (Reuters) – Equatorial Guinea has
agreed to supply Swaziland with crude oil, but the product will
first need to be refined in neighbouring South Africa, the
Business Report said on Friday.
Swaziland, which currently sources all of its fuel products
from South Africa, does not have its own refinery.
Quoting government officials, the paper said the deal was
clinched during a meeting between Equatorial Guinea President
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and King Mswati III of Swaziland.
There were no details on the volume of crude oil to be sold
to Swaziland or how the impoverished country would pay for it.
Swaziland is Africa’s last absolute monarchy which analysts
said has been run for years almost as a personal fiefdom by King
Mswati III and now teeters on the brink of financial collapse.
South Africa has offered a bailout loan but Swaziland has
refused, seeing attached conditions calling for political
reforms as too stringent, government officials said.
(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Phumza Macanda)
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