VZCZCXRO9271
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHPL #0397 3411122
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 071122Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4874
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT LOUIS 000397 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHSA PBTS MARR SO SE
SUBJECT: SEYCHELLES REQUESTS CONTINUED DEPLOYMENT OF US AIR 
ASSETS 
 
REF: PORT LOUIS 394 
 
Classified By: CDA BARRIE WALKLEY FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  In a December 02 meeting with the Charge, 
Seychelles President James Michel praised US assistance in 
combating Somali piracy, supported the presence of US UAVs 
and requested the continued deployment of P-3s (currently 
scheduled to conclude December 22).  Secretary-of-State Jean 
Paul Adam believes that any "information sharing" that 
results in frustrating an act of piracy will be "a public 
relations coup."  Wavel Ramkalawan, leader of the political 
opposition in parliament, also fully supports the continued 
deployment of US assets in the Seychelles.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) James Michel, President of the Seychelles, met with 
Charge Walkley December 02 to discuss, among other matters, 
the deployment of US air assets in the Seychelles.  (FYI: 
Those assets currently consist of 3 UAVs, 3 P-3s and 
approximately 170 personnel).  Michel praised the US for 
assistance in combating Somali piracy, which he described as 
a "regional scourge affecting safety, trade and the economy," 
and added that he believes the US air assets operating out of 
the Seychelles "serve as a deterrent to increased piracy, 
giving the people of the Seychelles a sense of security." 
Michel said he was aware that the P-3s are on a 60-day 
mission in the Seychelles, a mission which would thus 
conclude on December 22.  He then made a specific plea that 
the US consider extending the deployment of the P-3s -- or, 
if that is not possible -- consider returning the P-3s to the 
Seychelles in the near future. 
 
¶3. (C) Michel said he is convinced that Somali pirates are 
not/not using any of the outlying Seychelles islands as 
bases, adding that there are Seychelles military and other 
observers on the islands to deter/detect any pirate presence. 
 
 
¶4. (C) In a separate meeting, the Charge discussed the US air 
assets with Jean Paul Adam (Secretary-of-State and close 
confidant of Michel, who participated in the meeting with the 
President).  Adam described the presence of the UAVs and the 
P-3s as "mutually beneficial for the Seychelles and the US" 
and added that any "information sharing" that directly 
results in preventing an act of piracy will be "a marvelous 
public relations coup."  He said that anything close to 
"real-time" information from the UAVs, P-3s or any other 
source would be valuable to the Seychelles.  Fearing that 
de-classification issues regarding sources might hold up the 
rapid transfer of information concerning pirate actions, Adam 
said that the Seychelles does not need to know the source of 
any information, only the information itself. 
 
¶5. (C) Charge Walkley also met with Wavel Ramkalawan, leader 
of the political opposition and head of the Seychelles 
National Party.  Ramkalawan said that his party -- along with 
the great majority of the Seychellois -- fully supports the 
recently-signed SOFA and the continued deployment of the UAV 
and P-3 surveillance assets.  Ramkalawan indicated that the 
only opposition to the deployment of the UAVs and P-3s has 
come from the New Democratic Party, a minor party which 
received less than 2 per cent of the vote in the last 
election and holds no seats in parliament. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: President Michel's willingness to meet the 
Charge, barely two hours after a long flight back from Cuba, 
is an indication of the importance Michel attaches to the 
US-Seychelles relationship, including the military 
relationship.  He sees enhanced value in the deployment of US 
assets and is sincere in supporting the presence of the UAVs 
and in requesting continued deployment of the P-3s.  Both 
President Michel and Secretary-of-State Jean Paul Adam are 
aware that the US assets in the Seychelles have multiple 
missions and targets; they are discreet, however, in ensuring 
that any public discussion of the assets focuses only on 
anti-piracy capabilities. 
WALKLEY