BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – Switzerland has appointed Corinne Cicéron Bühler as its new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Eswatini, as part of a wider reshuffle of its diplomatic missions for 2026 and 2027.
Cicéron Bühler will be based in Pretoria and will be responsible for diplomatic relations with South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia, according to an announcement by Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
The appointment was announced in Bern on October 2, with Switzerland saying the changes form part of its periodic transfer rotation involving its external diplomatic network, the FDFA headquarters and the Federal Chancellery.
Her appointment places Eswatini within a five-country portfolio to be overseen from the Swiss Embassy in Pretoria.
Switzerland and Eswatini maintain diplomatic relations, with Switzerland representing its interests in Eswatini from Pretoria, while Eswatini is represented in Switzerland from Brussels. The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations since 1968, when Switzerland recognised Eswatini’s independence.
The Swiss representation in Pretoria also provides consular services for Eswatini and several other countries in the region, including Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Cicéron Bühler’s appointment was among several ambassadorial appointments announced by Switzerland.
Switzerland appointed Salman Bal as head of its permanent mission to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations and other international organisations in Vienna, with the title of ambassador.
Olivier Bangerter was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, based in Baku, while Didier Chassot was appointed ambassador to Tunisia and Libya, based in Tunis.
Switzerland also appointed Patric Franzen as ambassador to Germany, based in Berlin.
In East Africa, Natalie Kohli was appointed ambassador to Kenya, Eritrea, Somalia and Uganda and head of Switzerland’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Nairobi.
Other appointments included Danielle Meuwly Monteleone as ambassador to Jordan; Salome Meyer as ambassador to Vietnam; Raphael Nägeli as ambassador to Belgium and head of Switzerland’s permanent representation to NATO; Reto Renggli as ambassador to Nepal; Monika Schmutz Kirgöz as ambassador to Austria; and Thomas Stähli as ambassador to Norway and Iceland.
The FDFA also announced several ambassadorial titles for senior officials taking up new responsibilities at its headquarters.
Rita Adam was awarded the title of ambassador in her new role as deputy state secretary and head of the Europe Division, while Emilija Georgieva received the title in her new role heading the Middle East and North Africa Division.
Nathalie Marti was awarded the title of ambassador as head of the Host Country Division of Switzerland’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.
Jürg Sprecher received the ambassadorial title in his new role heading EU Coordination within the Europe Division, while Viktor Vavricka was awarded the title as head of the Africa Division.
At the Federal Chancellery, David Andreas Braun was awarded the title of ambassador in his new role as head of Diplomatic Advisory Services within the Presidential Services Unit.
The new Swiss ambassador’s portfolio comes against a background of established but relatively modest bilateral relations between Switzerland and Eswatini.
According to Switzerland’s official bilateral-relations profile, the relationship between the two countries is described as good, although not extensive. Areas of cooperation have included education, research and innovation, economic relations and development cooperation.
Eswatini nationals are also eligible to apply for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, while Switzerland’s southern African diplomatic network has historically supported projects in areas including food security and HIV/AIDS.
Cicéron Bühler’s new posting therefore gives her responsibility for maintaining and potentially strengthening Switzerland’s engagement with Eswatini while simultaneously managing diplomatic relations with four other countries in the region.
Her appointment is part of Switzerland’s broader diplomatic rotation that will see new ambassadors deployed across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East during the 2026–2027 period.
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