April 6, 2010 --  Two letters, including one from a Seychellois who was captured by pirates last year and held for three months in Somalia, have congratulated the naval officers aboard the Seychelles Coastguard vessel Topaz for their brave actions to liberate Seychellois and Iranian men last month from the hands of the sea bandits.

Letters from Captain Francis Roucou and Francis Bijoux are published in the Seychelles Nation newspaper today.

The Letters

Congratulations!

"I was at sea when I learned that the Seychelles Coastguard had liberated six Seychellois fishermen and twenty-one Iranians who had been taken hostage by Somali pirates.

This brought back memories of my own experience when we were taken hostage by the Somali pirates on March 27, 2009, almost a year to the present incident.  Had the coastguards not rescued them, I believe they would have suffered a worse fate that we did.

I would like to congratulate President Michel or ordering such an appropriate action, ensuring the liberation of our Seychellois brothers. An action that no other developed country would have dared take to free their own citizens from the clutches of the Somali pirates.

Applause for the excellent job by the coastguard officers and may the Lord protect our country."

Captain Francis Roucou
Ex-hostage

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"Every Seychellois must be feeling proud of what our coastguard has achieved in the past few weeks. Hats off to the captain and crew of the patrol vessel Topaz.

Looking at the photos taken by the photographers it shows that our youth are determined to defend our country at all cost. Yes, Topaz has passed the baptism of fire and succeeded in the fight against piracy. Now all Seychellois should rally behind them and stop asking why we need armed forces.

Congratulation also goes to the wardens on Aldabra who did a good job in arresting these pirates. This shows once again that there are people who are ready to defend our natural heritage at all cost.

It is high time that we out partisan politics aside and come together as a nation to fight piracy and all sorts of social ills."

Francis Bijoux