The President of the Republic, Mr Wavel Ramkalawan in his capacity as the Commander in Chief of the Seychelles Defence Forces met with the Defence and Security Committee of the Seychelles National Assembly yesterday morning at State House. Also present was the Vice-President, Mr Ahmed Afif.

The last meeting with the Committee was held in 2020 and since the last discussion several actions and activities with its key stakeholders have been effected. Hence, yesterday ’s discussion was an opportune moment for the committee to report their findings, brief the President and Vice-President on new agendas, as well as discuss other pertinent defence and security matters relevant for the country.

During discussions, the committee also presented future plans and new proposals for the way forward as well as shared a list of key visits on their work schedule for the 2023, all of which includes various law enforcement or defence entities in the country. The Committee also expressed its wishes to strengthen its mandate effectively and further engage in greater dialogues alongside its partners.

President Ramkalawan conveyed his appreciation to members of the committee for their continuous support and for the open and frank discussions. He urged them to continue working collectively with all relevant authorities and partners for the continued advancement of various defence and security matters of the country.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, as the Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Clifford Andre described the discussions as fruitful and said that as and when necessary future meetings will be held with the Commander in Chief in order to ensure they maintain the dialogue and ensure all the relevant entities continue playing a key role by working together for the betterment of Seychelles. 

Members of the committee present for the meeting at State House were Hon. Clifford Andre (Chairperson), Hon. Francois Adelaide ( Vice Chairperson), Hon. Sandy Arissol-Member, Hon. Michel Roucou- Member, Mrs. Gillian Samson (Secretary), Ms. Savrina Pirame (Asst. Secretary). Other members of this National Assembly Committee includes Hon. Churchill Gill- Member and Hon. Audrey Vidot- Member who were absent.