Petition urges Seychelles to retract its acceptance to join the 10-nation force against Yemen |27 December 2023
- 213 signatories to date out of the 500 targeted
The people are being invited to sign a petition calling on Seychelles to retract its acceptance to join the 10-nation force against Yemen.
The petition was launched four days ago by Ashley Lafortune on the change.org website.
The petition – ‘Retract Seychelles' acceptance to join the 10-Nation Force against Yemen’ – has already garnered 213 signatures from Seychelles and various foreign countries.
“We, the undersigned, come together to express our deep apprehension and collective plea to the Seychelles government to retract its decision to join the 10-nation force against the Yemeni Houthis. This move not only aligns us with the oppressors actively enabling genocide against the Palestinians but also carries the potential for severe economic repercussions for Seychelles,” states the petition.
The group behind this initiative believes that “the decision to send a navy of 10 nations to suppress Yemen's only active support for the Palestinians is disproportionate, morally questionable, and deeply distressing. Seychelles, with its longstanding commitment to justice and humanitarian values, should not be associated with actions that contribute to the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian or Yemeni people."
The petition also highlights the vulnerability of Seychelles, emphasising how the Seychelles navy is small and incomparable to the naval capabilities of other nations involved in this force.
Contacted by phone, Miss Lafortune told Seychelles NATION that there were several motivations behind the petition. “The first was the dissatisfaction with Seychelles for siding with countries actively enabling the genocide of the Palestinian people, especially considering that the Yemeni Houthis made it clear that only Israeli ships would be the ones targeted in the Red Sea. Despite the vice-president claiming that Seychelles is not taking any sides, actions speak louder than words, and the international audience is not tuning in to our press conferences to make the assumptions that Seychelles is neutral. It does not take much googling to come across the heavy criticism and backlash Seychelles is facing due to this stance.”
Secondly, stated Ms Lafortune and her group, “the size and capacity of the Seychelles naval fleet is incomparable to these developed countries involved in the 10-nation force against Yemen. I do not see how we will add any type of value to operations in the Red Sea when we already need assistance to patrol our own seas. What happens if the US decides to declare war on Yemen? Will our people have to go fight for a cause that isn't ours? Let us also not forget how sending 10 countries' naval force to handle the Houthis is disproportionate collective punishment against the Yemenis. The poorest nation in North Africa, heavily dependent on donations to survive, and we are accepting that sending 10 naval forces is logical? Where is our humanity? Where are our morals as a nation?”
Ms Lafortune and team noted that “economically, I see that there is potential for severe backlash of tourists boycotting to visit us. Tourism is a pillar of our economy, as is the export of our fish. Both of which can easily be boycotted by the same Europeans that are shutting down businesses, workplaces and protesting in massive numbers.”
Compiled by Vidya Gappy