The planned expansion of the Assomption coast guard base, with construction support from India, drew intense scrutiny in the National Assembly on Tuesday. The issue surfaced during the budget approval debate for the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF).
Members of the Assembly directed a series of questions to Chief of Defence Forces, Major General Michael Rosette, as he appeared before the Assembly to defend the Seychelles Defence Forces budget. Lawmakers pressed for clarity on the purpose, scale, and implications of the project.
Major General Rosette stated that the SDF already operates infrastructure on Assomption Island. However, he said the force now intends to expand the facility.
“We already have a building on Assomption that hosts a radar station and a facility to host our soldiers there. We want to make it bigger and more convenient to cater for our boats and planes when we are there,” said Major General Rosette.
He stressed the island’s strategic position at the entrance of the Mozambique Channel. Major General Rosette noted that significant activity occurs in the surrounding waters. He also pointed to the location of Aldabra, Assomption, Cosmoledo, and Astove within the same region.
According to Major General Rosette, illegal activities in the area make a permanent presence necessary to maintain Seychelles’ sovereignty.
“By having a bigger facility than we have now, it will allow us to fuel our boats. We already have an arrangement with SEYPEC to store fuel for airplanes and boats for Assomption,” he said.
He told the Assembly that planned fuel storage would allow coast guard patrol vessels to operate for up to two months without interruption.
“We need to install tanks to ensure boats can be refuelled,” Major General Rosette added.
Furthermore, he said the expanded facility would include a workshop for maintenance and repair of vessels. This would also support aircraft operating in the region.
Major General Rosette also declared that the military facility on Assomption will be manned by Seychellois soldiers. He said this arrangement will remain in place in the future.
The Chief of Defense Forces highlighted the island group’s distance from Mahé. He said the outer islands are more than three hours away by air and about two and a half days by sea. Therefore, he stressed the need for a permanent presence. This would allow rapid intervention if required.
During the session, the Chief of Defence Forces confirmed that part of the 50 million US dollar grant from India will support maritime security.
“We cannot unveil all the details at the moment as it is still under discussion how much will be dedicated to maritime security from the grant,” said Major General Rosette.