Seychelles and Combined Maritime Forces reinforce maritime cooperation   |20 April 2023

Minster Radegonde welcomes Captain Byron to the Maison Quéau de Quinssy

Illicit drug trafficking is a shared problem that can only be tackled with shared solutions.

This came out strongly during a courtesy call by the Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), Captain James Byron, on Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, on Monday at the Maison Quéau de Quinssy.

Minister Radegonde noted that “illegal drugs are a big problem for Seychelles and we welcome cooperation to aid the fight in ensuring maritime security”.

Another avenue being looked into is the adoption of new methods and technology, namely surveillance drones, which will aid in real-time surveillance of Seychelles’ territorial waters.

On his part, Captain Byron commended the initiative and noted that it is important that they also coordinate their efforts with EUNAVFOR as it will allow for better allocation of resources. “The CMF will be delighted to explore cooperation in drone surveillance with Seychelles,” stated Captain Byron. 

He added that the CMF will soon be setting up a centre of excellence for Maritime Domain Awareness which is expected to be beneficial to everyone involved in maritime security.

Captain Byron highlighted that he is looking forward to participating in Operation Southern Readiness in July this year, which is an annual capacity building exercise conducted by CMF, in Seychelles, with the aim of promoting security and prosperity across international waters.

Minister Radegonde wished Captain Byron and his team success in their upcoming meetings.

Press release from the department of Foreign Affairs