The deal is dead. Seychelles Assumption Island And Indian Army Base
The Opposition coalition – Linyon Demokratik Seselwa – has a majority in the island nation’s Parliament.
The Opposition coalition in Seychelles on Tuesday said it will not ratify a deal that will allow India to invest $550 million (approximately Rs 3,586 crore) in building a military base on one of the country’s islands, AFP reported.
The deal will help India ensure the safety of its vessels in the southern Indian ocean. Indian soldiers will be deployed on Assumption island and they will also help train the troops in Seychelles. “This deal is dead,” said the head of Opposition coalition Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (Seychelles Democratic Union in Creole), Wavel Ramkalawan. The coalition holds a majority in Parliament.
Former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had visited the island nation in January to sign the renegotiated agreement. The pact was first announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in 2015. The deal had then faced hurdles and Jaishankar had to make an unannounced visit to Seychelles in October 2017 to resolve the differences.
Earlier this month, copies of the classified agreement were leaked online, alleging that the Seychelles government had sold off Assumption island to India. “Assumption belongs to Seychelles and Seychellois,” the island nation’s President Danny Faure had said in Parliament. “Land on Assumption has not been sold or leased to the government of India.”
Assumption Island
Assumption Island is a small island in the Outer Islands of Seychelles north of Madagascar, with a distance of 1,135 km (705 mi) southwest of the capital, Victoria, on Mahé Island. In 2018, Seychelles and India signed an agreement to build and operate a joint military facility on a portion of the island.The deal for an Indian military base in Seychelles was declared ‘dead’ by the Island’s opposition party. The plans for an Indian military base in Seychelles stirred up public protests by activists who believe that the islands must stay away from the brewing India-China regional conflict.
History
Assumption Island was discovered by Captain Nicolas Morphey on 14 August 1756, and was named after the religious feast of the next day. In 1908, the island was leased to Mr H. Savy of Mahé, who built a coconut plantation on the island. The first settlement was in the northern part of the island.During a visit 2 years later, he realized the guano potential of the island. The villagers transferred their labor force to guano mining camp, that operated from 1907 until 1983. The camp was the location of the current village. After that, the villagers were employed as fishermen, usually of bêche-de-mer, until it was declared protected. In the mid 1960s the island was proposed as an American military base, including a deep sea port. After strong protests from environmental organizations, this plan was rejected. In 1990 The airfield was built.
Geography
Assumption Island is located about 27 km south of Anse Takamaka on Aldabra Atoll and is part of the Aldabra Group. It is a single coral island which measures 11.6 km2 (4.5 sq mi) in area. The western shore features an almost uninterrupted sandy beach of 5.5 km. Two large sand dunes are prominent on the southeastern coast of the island, one of them 32 metres (105 ft) high. The 5.5 km, white, sandy beach that stretches on the southeastern side of the island has been several times named ‘the best beach in the world’ for its white sand, crystalline waters, diversity of marine life and, due to its remote location, lack of crowds (or in fact, any people at all). Due to the disruptive effect of guano mining which lasted until 1983, the island is dominated by expanses of bare rock and caves, and is sparsely covered with low-growing vegetation.
Demographics
Assumption Island has a small village, with about 20 people, on the sheltered western side, surrounded by Casuarina trees. An abandoned coconut palm plantation is just south of it. The island has a construction camp with about 50 people at the southern point of the airfield. All labor are from India
Economics
The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption, and also work at the coast guard station near the village
Joint Military Facility
In 2015, Seychelles and India signed an agreement for constructing and operating joint military facility on the Island. A coast surveillance radar system built by support from India became operational in 2016 A revised agreement was signed in 2018 and the Seychelles President has endorsed its ratification.The Indian government has also stated that this was a joint project on the request of the Seychelles government and would be jointly managed by both countries. India plans to invest $550 million in building the facility. Recently, The deal for an Indian military base in Seychelles was declared as ‘dead’ by the Island’s opposition party. The leader of the opposition also clearly stated that this was the end of the ‘assumption agreement’ and no further discussions on India’s military base were on the agenda.
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