President Michel Pressures International Community Over Piracy
Source: The People
President James Michel cannot allow any more Seychellois fishermen to be taken hostage by Somali pirates, when this happens it affects him, the families, the Seychellois nation and the country’s economy. He has come out strongly in an interview after meeting with the families of the two fishermen who are now in the hands of the pirates somewhere in Somalia, and declared that his country is prepared to invest and go the extra miles to get reinforcement to provide security to Seychellois fishermen and on inhabited outer islands where there are also tourism activities.
Seychelles which has always been pro-active with this crisis is playing its part, the President has launched another appeal to the international community especially the United Nations (UN) to react in order to put an end to the scourge of piracy that if it continued to be ignored will transform into terrorism.
Seychelles is seeking concrete actions that will turn piracy into a past problem. It is no longer enough to sit in forums to discuss piracy when nothing tangible is being done by the international community to make the problem go away.
Seychelles is a small country which economy has to put up with the consequences of any instability of the world therefore there’s not much it can do. And right now the President is prepared to take actions to deal with pirates there and then when it happens at sea, just like some nations are doing.
“If the international community can go into Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya etc., they can also enter Somalia and put an end to Al Shabab and this will also put an end to piracy.
If Somalia is left without help, some day it will become the nesting ground for terrorists, then it will not only be Seychelles to face the bad consequences”, the President said.
Clearly, the Head of State has had it with Somali pirates who hijacked Songoire and Tambara some 60 miles off Denis Island. Although the pirates dared not yet land on our outer islands to take people, they pose a threat.
The President knows that the time has come to do what it takes to deal with pirates, in order to protect his people, especially that this time the country was helpless when the hijack took place. According to the President when the authority received information the pirates were already near Somalia with both Seychellois men. The feelings he felt when he received the news were profound sadness but also anger.
“The security we will provide to fishermen will be a new contingent that will be made up of Seychellois and foreigners. They will deal with pirates now and there. We can no longer allow these people to enter our waters to take our people and we do nothing to stop them”, President Michel explained.
Air and sea patrols are expected to intensify, especially that now Seychelles has entered what already has been termed as the ‘pirates’ season’. Some military assets have already been moved to the outer islands and if necessary will be enhanced.
Like the President said, Seychelles has to take precautionary measures although no Seychellois working on these islands has been taken so far.
The Seychelles Coast Guards will today acquire their new military base - a new radar system will allow the unit to cover more distance therefore allow the coast guards to detect pirates before they make any attempt to kidnap any Seychellois.
President Michel has vowed to overcome the challenge of pirates. He is contacting his foreign counterparts and other partners to help Seychelles with the pirates’ dilemma, still hoping that a problem shared is a problem solved.
The committee the President set up when the first group of Seychellois were taken by Somali pirates, led by Minister Joel Morgan, is at present actively negotiating the release of the two Seychellois, the pirates have initiated contact to ask for a hefty ransom.
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