UAE hands over patrol boats to fight piracy |05 January 2011

The ceremony was held at the coast guard’s base on Bois de Rose, where the UAE naval forces’ deputy commander Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan presented the boats to the coast guard.

This was done in the presence of President James Michel, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces.

Also present were National Assembly speaker Patrick Herminie, chief justice Fredrick Egonda-Ntende, government ministers, chief of defence forces Brigadier Leopold Payet and police commissioner Ernest Quatre.

The coast guard’s commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Michael Rosette and other senior SPDF officers were also there.

“The UAE pledged the donation of five maritime patrol vessels in July last year, and today it has delivered on this pledge with great speed and efficiency,” said President Michel after his tour of the vessels.

“We are deeply grateful for this gesture and we note its importance as our fight against piracy is an immediate concern, which requires swift action and concrete support from the international community,” he added.

The President noted that the technological capacities of the boats are of the highest standard, and that the Seychelles Coast Guard officers are well trained to execute their new missions on the boats.

“This donation is a great achievement for our armed forces, as we will be increasing our capacity to fight the piracy threat by ensuring greater maritime surveillance capacity. This will provide greater support and reassurance to our fishermen, as well as other mariners of our region,” said Mr Michel.

Sheikh Saeed said the donation is a pledge of friendship between Seychelles and the UAE and a gift from ruler Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

He added that he hopes the vessels will help to limit the danger of piracy in Seychelles’ waters and enhance the friendship between the two countries.

Brigadier Payet said the donation of the two larger patrol boats, which have been named Le Virgilant and La Flêche, and the three fast response craft “will help our mariners in distress and provide security for all those who travel our waters”.

He added that such state-of-the-art equipment will help the Seychelles Coast Guard to combat piracy.

“With these additional boats our coast guard strength will double,” he said.

Brigadier Payet thanked the UAE for its support for the anti-piracy mission, adding that it was one of the first countries to respond to our call for help in the fight against Somali pirates.

“The UAE has committed a US $15 million package that will boost the capability of our coast guard,” he added.

The new boats are part of the comprehensive package that also includes coast guard surveillance radars and a new naval base.

Lt Col Rosette said these new boats will undoubtedly give a further boost to the capabilities and effectiveness of the Seychelles Coast Guard.

“Along with the patrol ships Topaz and Andromache, these boats will also be used for surveillance and anti-piracy patrols within the maritime zones of Seychelles,” he said.

He added that the UAE and Seychelles have always had excellent relations, and the generous gifts of these boats is another example of the close ties between the two countries.

Lt Col Rosette also thanked the team of officers and sailors from the UAE Navy for their support in training the coast guard crews of the new boats during the last few weeks.

There were also words of thanks from former hostage Captain Francis Roucou of the Indian Ocean Explorer – the first boat to be captured by pirates in Seychelles’ waters.

He thanked the UAE for the donation and said seafarers will feel much more secure because they know “our coast guard now has the right tools to ensure our safety”.

“The coast guard and Tazar team are doing a good job patrolling our waters to protect us seafarers against further hijacking, though their resources are limited,” he said.

The proof of their good work came when Mr Michel ordered them to take action against the pirates who had taken Seychellois fishermen hostage, he added.

This included the successful mission involving six of our countrymen on board the fishing vessel Galate in April and seven crew on board another fishing boat, the Faith, in November last year.

Mr Roucou thanked President Michel for his continuous efforts to ensure the security of the nation, especially in the fight against piracy.

During the ceremony there was an exchange of gifts between Mr Michel and Sheikh Saeed. There was also a tour and blessing of the two patrol vessels, and Seychelles’ national colours were hoisted on Le Virgilant and La Flêche.