Former President Ramkalawan opposes proposed joint military facility on Assomption Island |28 February 2026
Former President of Seychelles and current leader of the opposition party Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS), Wavel Ramkalawan, has issued a press communiqué addressing the recent proposal for a joint Seychelles–India Coast Guard/military facility on Assomption Island. In his statement, Mr Ramkalawan outlines serious concerns regarding sovereignty, environmental impact, and the implications of foreign military presence in Seychelles. He emphasises that the Seychellois public has not endorsed this project and calls for collective opposition to safeguard national interests and preserve the country’s neutrality.
The full press communique reads:
“I wish to inform the Seychellois public that I have on Wednesday written to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to express the position that I have taken as former President of Seychelles and leader of the opposition party (LDS) on the proposal for a joint Seychelles–India Coast Guard/military facility on Assomption Island.
“The proposal for the establishment of a Coast Guard/ military facility on Assomption Island in Seychelles, to be managed jointly by Seychelles and India, is an issue that is of serious concern and I feel it is necessary and appropriate for me to address it as a representative of the people of Seychelles.
“After his recent visit to India, Seychelles President Patrick Herminie revealed the agreement for this project. The press statements here have referred to it as a Coast Guard base but its exact nature and scope have not been defined. By contrast, news media in India have referred to it as a military base and have been more elaborate about the intentions especially as they relate to the interests of India.
“One particular aspect which has been highlighted is the concern of India in relation to the global intentions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which has placed the project firmly in the sphere of international geopolitics.
“It is my duty, in line with my continued involvement in the political affairs of my country as leader of the opposition political party, to bring into perspective the views and concerns of the people of Seychelles over the proposed development. During the campaign for the general elections of October 2025, current President Herminie made a major issue of a tourism development on Assomption Island being undertaken by a Qatari group, but never once mentioned the setting up of a Coast Guard/ military facility with foreign participation. In fact, the strident objection to the foreign involvement in the tourism development clearly indicated that Dr Herminie was against foreign involvement of any kind on our outlying islands. Therefore, the Seychelles public have been misled about this and have in no way endorsed the current proposal for a Coast Guard/ military facility.
“It is my duty to express the strong and determined objection of the majority of the people of Seychelles to the project being proposed. As a political leader I share and support this objection and I am pledged to campaign against it with all means possible.
“I wish here to outline our reasons for objecting to the facility.
“Although the details have not yet been established, it is clear that it involves the presence of foreign military personnel on our territory and outside our control. This is a violation of our sovereignty and unacceptable. The fact that the Indian media has presented it as India’s response to the global intentions of the PRC has alerted us that this represents an intrusion for our small country into international affairs, particularly the competing global interests of India and the PRC.
“As such, the project seriously compromises our national interests and places us in in a situation which we have sought to avoid.
“In addition to these geopolitical issues, I have also expressed what is a principal concern for all our population in regards to any major development on our islands. This is the impact that construction and operation of such a facility will have on the fragile ecosystem, not only of Assomption Island itself but also the nearby Aldabra Atoll, a World Heritage site. The environmental issue has been part of the objection to the tourism development which was stridently raised by Dr Patrick Herminie in his presidential election campaign. The impact of a military facility will be far worse but President Herminie has remained totally silent on this issue. I call on all the people of Seychelles to come together to express our objection to this proposal, to show our determination to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity, to maintain our neutrality in geopolitical rivalries and to preserve the natural environment of our outlying islands.”
Press release from the Office of the Fifth President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan