For once, The Independent article of 08.02 (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/how-the-seychelles-became-a-pirates-paradise-1892279.html) read like a fairly well-balanced appraisal of the potential risks to the Seychelles economic mainstays from pirates’ activity within or in proximity to Seychelles’ EEZ.
Minister Morgan’s refutal published by The Nation of 10.02 (http://www.nation.sc/) seems to focus on the one part of The Independent’s article that touched risks to the tourism industry. This rebuttal may be quite acceptable in terms of the expected official response to re-assure the sensitive (European)market.
While we are certainly not a “pirates’ paradise”, it would however be a grave mistake to brush off Daniel Howden’s “nightmare scenario ..(of) pirates washing up on one of the exclusive beaches waving guns at free-spending tourists” .
Seychelles’ territorial integrity does indeed stretch to small, low-lying remote islands sprinkled over a vast expanse of open sea. Some of these provide exclusive resort facilities to the higher end of the tourism market. Their remoteness, clientele and the proven capability of pirates to operate within range, do mark them as potential targets!
It is perhaps because of our having understood the risks that troops have been stationed on some of these islands!
Without ceding to paranoia, perhaps it would be wise to ensure reliable and immediate communication between our remote islands and Mahe. Perhaps we should also revise the deployment of the security forces in order to allow bases in the outer island groups, as both a visible deterrence as well as for rapid deployment, immediate and effective intervention.
This “nightmare scenario” of our sovereignty being compromised is not new. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, in the face of the humanitarian and political catastrophes that were hitting Mozambique, Madagascar and the Comoros, there were one or two who quietly voiced concern on whether or not we were equipped and ready to manage a potential tide of refugees that could unlawfully be landed on our remotest islands. Fortunately we were never put to the test.
And then Somalia broke down and Western Naval Security Forces inadvertently pushed Somali pirates off the Gulf of Aden into the South West Indian Ocean!
Inscription à :
Publier les commentaires (Atom)
2 commentaires:
quote
"Seychelles’ territorial integrity does indeed stretch to small, low-lying remote islands sprinkled over a vast expanse of open sea. Some of these provide exclusive resort facilities to the higher end of the tourism market. Their remoteness, clientele and the proven capability of pirates to operate within range, do mark them as potential targets!"
This “nightmare scenario” of our sovereignty being compromised is not new. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, in the face of the humanitarian and political catastrophes that were hitting Mozambique, Madagascar and the Comoros, there were one or two who quietly voiced concern on whether or not we were equipped and ready to manage a potential tide of refugees that could unlawfully be landed on our remotest islands"
comment
Oh! what is the difference and impact has it on the Seychellios -culture and sovereignty,
in-between those two kinds of outer-island-invasion from those fleeing their war ravaged village to a safe place on a nearby island '- the war-refugees' and those none-local-opportunist-refugees who are taking all the islands for nothing?
Huh?
In so far as I have correctly interpreted yr query, "war-refugees" illegally landed on the remote islands would have constituted a potential threat to national sovereignty by virtue of what was then our inability to effectively prevent the flow. This is not to suggest that one should turn away from the tragedy of "refugees".
Yr 2nd category "none-local-opportunist-refugees who are taking all the islands for nothing" is unclear!
Enregistrer un commentaire