SEYCHELLES REALITY

Article paru dans Le Mauricien | 28 août, 2014 - 15:05 | Par LINDLEY COURONNE Si l'on comptait sur la conférence de presse de la police des Seychelles pour répondre aux questions fondamentales posées par la mort suspecte de Harmon Chellen il n’en a rien été, et l’on n’a pu qu’être consterné devant les contradictions dont il a été fait état. Mais peut-on alors compter sur le gouvernement mauricien pour s'engager résolument aux côtés d'un de ses citoyens ? Jusqu'ici nous n'avons entendu que les sempiternelles banalités diplomatiques du type « nous en évoquerons le cas avec ...' » L'Etat Seychellois devra une fois pour toutes comprendre que le monde de 2014 n'est plus celui des années 70/80 quand un Etat totalitaire pouvait encore sévir en toute impunité.  Aujourd’hui un seul clic de souris peut ruiner la réputation d’un pays qui se retrouverait alors au rang d’Etat-voyou, même s’il s’agit d’une île à vocation touristique....

« Aux mains de l’individu, la force s’appelle crime. Aux mains de l’Etat, la force s’appelle droit… » - Stirner Je ne connais pas Harmon Chellen. Mais, suite à sa mort très suspecte aux Seychelles j’ai mené pendant une semaine une investigation intensive auprès de ses élèves, de ses employés et de ses connaissances. En effet j’ai été profondément choqué par cette mort aussi brutale qu’inattendue. Car tout est suspect dans ce qu’on peut maintenant appeler l’Affaire Chellen. On notera d’abord la précipitation avec laquelle le ministre du Tourisme, Saint-Ange, évoque explicitement « l’asphyxie » et implicitement la noyade et même le «  suicide ». Mais Saint Ange n’est pas médecin légiste, ni même chef de la police. Or, dans un Etat de droit qui se respecte, un Ministre laisse l’enquête se dérouler avec impartialité avant de se prononcer, surtout de façon aussi  catégorique. Alors pourquoi prend-il position avec un tel ...

La famille d’ Harmon Chellen, retrouvé mort aux Seychelles lundi, récuse la thèse du suicide. Elle privilégie celle de foul play . Elle a mandaté Veda Baloomoody pour qu’il mène sa propre enquête. Sollicité hier soir, l’avocat a confirmé cette information. Il se rend aujourd’hui, mercredi 20 août dans l’archipel et assistera à l’autopsie. Harmon Chellen, 52 ans, était le Training Centre Manager du Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) et de l’école hôtelière sir Gaëtan Duval. Il a été repêché de l’eau à Islette à Port Glaud à l’ouest de Mahé aux alentours de 14 h 50. Faisant état de zones d’ombre entourant sa mort, ses proches soulignent qu’il ne nageait pas. D’une part, il ne savait pas le faire et d’autre part, il souffrait de problèmes de peau. La famille ajoute qu’Harmon Chellen était jovial et tout excité car il devait, la semaine prochaine, aller installer son fils Brandon à Singapour où ce dernier a décroché une bourse d’études. Selon ell...

I have worked in conjunction with the Leader of Seychelles Freedom Party, Mr Christopher Gill, to bring justice to all Seychellois who have suffered under the brutal regime of Rene and Michel. I have written formal letters to the United Na tions of Human rights, the International Courts of Justice in the Hague, the Commonwealth, the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. Today, we witness the same Governments, the same organisations, the same political leaders that speak for justice and democracy around the world inviting the same people that break all international norms to their official residences. I am baffled by their actions. Inviting Dictators to dinner is an insult to human dignity. How demoralising for true reformers and activists in their home countries and abroad to see tin-pot dictators and Human Rights abusers feted at the White House and at Downing Street. David Cameron and Barack Obama should act in a way that agrees with the thi...

Iles Des Palmes Eco Resort of Praslin in Seychelles has been awarded and is a winner of the Hotel Check Quality Certificate 2014.Hotel Check evaluates hotels on the German market, and Iles Des Palmes scored 4.8 out of 5.0 with German guest reviews to achieve this remarkable award of excellence.Iles Des Palmes Eco Resort recently opened the National Heritage Treasure Trail – a fascinating tour taking visitors back to the era of pirates and treasures of the 17th century. Last month, Iles Des Palmes Eco Resort opened Le Vasseur La Buse fine dining located beachfront on Anse Takamaka in Praslin. The specialty of the house is a starter called Millionaire Salad, a main course in the form of a Seafood Platter or a USDA Black Angus Prime Cut, plus a dessert that is an incredible aphrodisiac called Dessert D’Amour. These delectable delights were served to the Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mr. Alain St. Ange, only a couple of weeks before this prestigious award ...

    Ministers of Natural Resources is conducting a three island survey including Mahe, Praslin, La Digue, to assess domestic consumption of fish.   This move is anticipated to be the foundation work which  will lead to an eventual ban on fish export from Seychelles overseas.   The market expected to be most affected is the Russian, Moscow market serviced by Oceana Fisheries.   UAE market will be affected as well.   Fishermen who have been reaping huge profits will not appreciate the bans when put in place.   Also those ordering boats in Sri Lanka and PRC will soon find out that the domestic market may not help them pay back their loans. Nearly one hundred boats are reportedly being built in Sri Lanka. That venture will be put to a stop with a ban on exports. End

The Butcher with Mr and Mrs Obama   August 4, 2014 Author(s):  Daniel Bekele Published in:  Foreign Policy Three notorious African leaders -- Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Eritrea's Isaias Afewerki, and Sudan's Omar al-Bashir -- are not invited to this week's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. But a number of other long-ruling African strongmen, like Angola's José Eduardo dos Santos, Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, will be there. In fact, over a dozen African countries which will be represented at the summit boast disturbing human rights records of ruthlessly suppressing freedom of expression and freedom of association through harassment, arrest, ...

The Seychelles Government has announced measures, which will lead to higher interest rates on bank deposits and loans, to reduce pressure on demand for foreign currency after national growth slowed during the first quarter of 2014. Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, the archipelago’s Finance, Trade and Investment Minister Pierre Laporte said though the economy is still buoyant, demand for foreign exchange this year surpassed receipts, leading to shortages at banks and money changers. He said this is linked to increased pressure by the construction, wholesale and retail trades, whose borrowings have gone up by 13 percent this year. Laporte said up to 90 percent of any credit or loan component is spent by way of foreign exchange. http://www.habarizacomores.net/?p=52451 Practical Impact High interest rates, as a practical matter, discourage borrowing and spending by both individuals and businesses. You and other consumers will postpone purchases, ...

  The Governor of the Central Bank Seychelles Caroline Abel has  announced that the Seychelles is experiencing a shortage of supply  in hard currency and will take steps to redress this in its monetary policy.   There is a shortage of hard currency in the market. Requests to commercial banks are going un met for as much as 30 days.   This affirms the SFP position that the Seychelles Rupee has  been kept at an artificial level deliberately by the PL policy .   The Governor said the Public can expect higher interest rates  to curb demand for hard currency and a devaluation of the  Seychelles Rupee in due course to adjust the imbalance  resulting from poor economic performance.   The minister of Finance Pierre Laporte is still waiting until the end of the 3 rd quarter to assess the situation.   END

August 1, 2014 Jubilee Scotland is pleased to announce that even before all of the events have been completed, the unfancied Seychelles has emerged as the clear leader. The idyllic islands, way out in the Indian Ocean, may not be garnering the attention of the global media this week, but the latest stats indicate that they have streaked far ahead of all other Commonwealth nations. It really is an astounding turnaround for ‘Team Seychelles’, after winning a solitary medal at the 2010 Delhi Games. With a population of just 92,000 things haven’t been easy, but the concerted efforts of the team are now bearing fruit. Many have said that Australia or England were up there fighting for the number one spot, but the stats show neither country has even made the top 10. Of course, the Seychelles have not actually suddenly become world-beaters. In Glasgow their true medal table position is currently listed as joint 34th, which as some of you may realise also equates to dead la...

President James Michel welcomes Air Seychelles' two new Twin Otters Thu, 31 July 2014 James Michel, President of the Republic of Seychelles, today welcomed Air Seychelles' two new DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft at a special ceremony at Seychelles International Airport. The aircraft, recently delivered from Canada's Viking Air Limited, will operate between Seychelles International Airport and Praslin, as well as other islands in the archipelago, including Bird, Denis and Frégate. Greeted by a traditional water cannon salute, the two aircraft, named 'Isle of Bird' and 'Isle of La Digue' respectively, arrived in sequence this afternoon in front of the Air Seychelles VIP lounge. President Michel cut a ceremonial ribbon to welcome the Twin Otters to their new home, and was accompanied by Danny Faure, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Joël Morgan, Seychelles Minister for Home Affairs and Transport and Air Seychelle...

Committed to the Greater Good for the National Interest: The National Consultative Forum Meets Thu, 31 July 2014 President James Michel opened the first meeting of the newly created National Consultative Forum this morning at State House, where members participated in a frank exchange of views and an open dialogue on the future of Seychelles. In his opening remarks, President Michel said that this unique and unparalleled forum would have a role that no other national consultative body presently has. “This is to serve as body for high level discussions concerning the promotion of national unity and solidarity, social and moral values, ethics, and for addressing other issues which have no established outlet for discussion, and which can impact on the future of Seychelles as a whole, not just during the next few years, but perhaps for generations to come. It serves as an avant-garde think tank that crosses political boundaries, and that seeks to prepare...