A large crowd gathered in the capital of Seychelles, Victoria, on Saturday. The protest march opposed an India-assisted project on Assomption Island.
Protesters carried banners with slogans including “No to Indian military base on Assomption”, “Assomption Island is not for sale”, and “No foreign troops”.
Former President Wavel Ramkalawan led the march. He addressed the crowd before the protest began.
Mr Ramkalawan said he did not oppose the construction of a coast guard facility on Assomption Island. However, he questioned the involvement of India.
“We don’t have a problem with a facility for the coast guard on Assomption, but why do we need India?” he told the crowd.
He also raised concerns about geopolitical tensions. Mr Ramkalawan asked, “Why are we allowing others to drag us into geopolitical war?”
Mr Ramkalawan, who served as the fifth President of Seychelles and Commander-in-Chief of the Seychelles Defence Forces during his time in office, said he was aware of illegal activities that occur near Assomption Island. According to him, activities such as poaching take place during specific periods depending on the monsoon season.
However, he argued that Seychelles does not need Indian assistance to address these issues. Instead, he said the government should use its own funds to build a coast guard facility on the island.
Members of the National Assembly have also discussed the issue. The planned expansion of the Assomption coast guard base, with construction support from India, drew scrutiny on Tuesday during the budget approval debate for the Seychelles Defence Forces.
Earlier this year, during a state visit to India, the government of Seychelles received a grant of $50m. Part of the funding is expected to support the expansion of the existing military facility on Assomption Island for Maritime Security.