VZCZCXRO2129
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHPL #0146/01 1321315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121315Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4548
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHAN/AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO 0822
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3039
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHPIGXW/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT LOUIS 000146 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/E FOR MARIA BEYZEROV 
AF/RSA FOR JUN BANDO AND MIKE BITTRICK 
S/P FOR PETER HARELL 
L FOR BUCHHOLS AND BINIAZ 
ANTAN FOR DAO 
NAIROBI FOR KUSLO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PBTS PHSA EWWT MARR MASS MOPS SO SE
SUBJECT: HOW SEYCHELLES CAPTURED 23 SUSPECTED PIRATES 
 
REF: A. BLASER-DEPT SEYCHELLES PIRACY EMAILS MAY 5-6 
    ¶B. PORT LOUIS 137 
 
¶1. (U) On May 7, the Seychelles government-controlled daily 
"Seychelles Nation" (or the "Nation") reported that since 
April 28, the Seychelles Police Force has captured 23 Somali 
pirates in its Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ), in three 
separate operations carried out with the help of European and 
Indian forces.  In a press conference held on May 6, Police 
Commissioner Ernest Quatre said that the three groups of 
Somali pirates are being held in police custody and will 
remain detained until formal charges are brought against them. 
The investigation is progressing at a slow pace, mainly due to 
the language barrier, said Quatre.  The detainees received 
medical care and a visit from the Red Cross upon their arrival 
in Victoria. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In the same article, the "Nation" reported that the 
first nine pirates were captured on April 28 on the "northern 
edge of SeychellesQ 1.3 million square kilometer EEZ" that 
borders Somali waters.  This operation was carried out with 
the help of European and Indian naval forces and Seychellois 
Coast Guard.  The Numancia, a Spanish frigate, spotted the 
boat and, with the help of French, Indian and Seychellois, 
followed and captured the boat in the Seychelles territorial 
waters.  The nine pirates were handed over to the Seychellois 
police and brought to Victoria aboard the Andromache, which 
has a crew of 25.  On May 6, a Coast Guard officer told 
Emboffs the capture took place on the north-western (NW) edge 
of the Seychelles EEZ. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Andromache was the only operational Seychellois 
Coast Guard vessel until the recent return of the Coast Guard 
ship Topaz.  According to the Indian High Commissioner in 
Seychelles who spoke to CDA on May 6, the Topaz, which was 
originally given to GOS by the government of India, recently 
received 1.4 million USD worth of repairs courtesy of India 
and was returned to Seychelles only last week.  The repairs 
were necessary because of poor maintenance conducted by the 
GOS caretakers, who lack the technical ability and supplies to 
keep the handful of Coast Guard vessels in workable condition. 
 
¶4. (U) According to a May 5 report in the "Nation," on May 2, 
the French naval ship Nivose alerted the Andromache to the 
presence of a six-meter boat carrying three Somali pirates in 
the same NW EEZ area.  The Seychellois forces captured the 
boat and the three persons identified themselves as Somalis. 
They were unarmed and offered no resistance.  The Nivose is 
part of the European Union naval operation "Atalanta." 
 
¶5. (U) The same "Nation" report stated that on May 4 a joint 
operation of the Seychelles PeopleQs Defense Force (SPDF) and 
the Seychelles Police Force led to the capture of three small 
skiffs carrying a total of 11 Somali men.  The arrests 
occurred near Marianne Island, approximately 33 miles North- 
North East of Victoria and about five miles from the tourist 
island of La Digue.  (Note: Marianne Island is a frequent 
boating daytrip destination for foreign tourists who wish to 
snorkel and enjoy beach picnics. End Note.) 
 
¶6.  (U) Captain Jean Attala of the Seychelles Coast Guard, who 
is also the Incident Operations Officer, was quoted as saying 
"It is evident that the recent anti-piracy operations in the 
western Indian Ocean have scattered the small pirate boats 
from their mother ships, and some have drifted into 
Seychelles' waters."  Seychellois authorities found no 
weapons, only cartridges, fishing rods, webbing, and other 
articles suspected to be from previously pirated ships. 
 
¶7. (SBU) On May 6, Seychelles Coast Guard Commanding Officer 
Col Donald Gertrude told the CDA and PolChief that the 
suspected pirates were non-aggressive, and young, with one 
being just 15.  "Someone must have briefed them on what to do 
when intercepted, because they dumped their guns and 
surrendered once we approached," said Gertrude.  Other 
Seychelles CG officials surmised to Emboffs that from their 
malnourished looks and what they had aboard the skiffs, the 
mother boat must supply the pirates with all needed equipment 
and tell them not to return without a captured vessel.  Two 
 
PORT LOUIS 00000146  002 OF 002 
 
 
senior government officials recounted a similar story about 
the initial sighting of these suspected pirates: that two 
locals taking tourists to Marianne Island were approached by 
the group, who asked the locals "which way is it to Somalia?" 
Concerned, the locals called La Digue police and some hours 
later the group was arrested by Seychellois authorities. 
(Note: Photos of the captured QbrotherQ boat and two "baby" 
skiffs, which are being held at the Seychelles Coast Guard 
pier in Mahe, Seychelles, can be found at the following 
intranet link: 
.  End Note.) 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶8. (SBU) Some contacts believe the pirates are collaboratively 
operating in four groups, with each taking one of four regions 
of Seychelles waters and that the recent captures have, at a 
minimum, disrupted two of the four cells currently operating 
in the area. The spate of captures is both reassuring for 
Seychelles, since significant numbers have been captured, and 
disturbing evidence of the widening scope of the problem. 
 
BLASER