(S//NF) SUBJ: 1. TERRORISM: ACTIVITIES BY SEYCHELLES' OPPOSITIONISTS TO WEAKEN THE SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT BY THREATENING TO PLACE BOMBS ON AIRLINES SERVING SEYCHELLES; GENERAL UNEASINESS OF SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT REGARDING ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06849657
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2020
• Case Number: F-2019-00465
• Publication Date: February 10, 1986

Approved for Release: 2020/03/26 C06849657
SEC
.(..SilitFTSUBJ: 1. TERRORISM: ACTIVITIES BY SEYCHELLES'
OPPOSITIONISTS TO WEAKEN THE SEYCHELLES
GOVERNMENT BY THREATENING TO PLACE BOMBS ON
AIRLINES SERVING SEYCHELLES; GENERAL UNEASINESS OF
SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT REGARDING ANTI-GOVERNMENT
ACTIVITIES
Identifiers:
Dates:
Date Acquired:
Date Published: 10-Feb-1986 14:07:00
Date Received: 10-Feb-1986 19:01:54
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: SYC
Region: AFRICA, SEYCHELLES
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Warnings: CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED
INTELLIGENCE
(U) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
(U) INFORMATION REPORT, N2-1- FINAI I Y FVAI UATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASS S
-E-G-R-E-T=-WNINTEL--NOFORN DIST: 10 FEBRUARY 1986
(U) REPORT CLASS S_E-G-R-E1LWARNING --INTELLIGENCE SOURCES OR METHODS
INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL
DOCUMENT. > .< END OF MESSAG_E_SEC-REr
...teS414fri. THE SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT HAS LEARNED OF A CAMPAIGN BY THE
SEYCHELLES NATIONAL MOVEMENT (SNM) TO DISRUPT THE SEYCHELLES TOURIST
INDUSTRY BY THREATENING TO PLACE A BOMB ON COM- MERCIAL AIRCRAFT
CARRYING TOURISTS FROM EUROPE TO SEYCHELLES, THUS WEAKENING THE
CURRENT SEYCHELLES' GOVERNMENT WHICH IS SO DEPENDENT ON TOURISM FROM
_SECRET-Mer-OR1T� 1
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2020/03/26 C06849657
Approved for Release: 2020/03/26 C06849657
SE�GRE140FORTF
WESTERN EUROPE FOR FOREIGN CURRENCY EARNINGS. COMMENT:
THE SNM IS A LONDON-BASED GROUP OF SEYCHELLOIS LIVING ABROAD WHO ARE
OPPOSED TO THE REGIME OF SEYCHELLES PRESIDENT FRANCE ALBERT ((RENE)). THE
SNM'S FORMER PRESIDENT, GERARD ((HOARAU)), WAS ASSASSINATED ON 29
NOVEMBER 1985 AT HIS LONDON HOME AND ALTHOUGH NO ONE HAS YET BEEN
FORMALLY CHARGED BY BRITISH POLICE SERVICES, THE SNM LEADERSHIP HAS
PUBLICLY PLACED THE BLAME FOR THE ASSASSINATION SQUARELY ON THE
SHOULDERS OF RENE AND THREATENED REPRISALS. THE SNM IS SOMETIMES
REFERRED TO AS THE MPR.)
.(.5//14F-r2. THE SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF SNM THREATS TO PLACE
BOMBS ON AIR SEYCHELLES FLIGHTS WHICH ORIGINATE IN LONDON AND AIR FRANCE
FLIGHTS WHICH ORIGINATE IN PARIS, BOTH OF WHICH SERVICE SEYCHELLES. SINCE
HOARAU'S ASSASSINATION, THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TWO BOMB SCARES ON
PLANES DESTINED FOR SEYCHELLES. ON 26 JANUARY 1986, AN AIR SEYCHELLES
FLIGHT FROM LONDON TO SEYCHELLES WAS DELAYED OVERNIGHT IN ROME BECAUSE
OF A BOMB THREAT RECEIVED IN LONDON AFTER THE PLANE'S DEPARTURE. THE
PASSENGERS DISEMBARKED AND
feSAARFTWERE PUT UP IN ROME HOTELS BECAUSE OF THE LATE HOUR OF ARRIVAL IN
ROME. MEANWHILE THE PLANE WAS THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY ITALIAN
AUTHORITIES, WHO FOUND NOTHING SUSPICIOUS. THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE
PLANE DEPARTED ROME. ON SUNDAY EVENING, 2 FEBRUARY 1986, AIR SEYCHELLES
FLIGHT HM-704 HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM SEYCHELLES AIRPORT WHEN A CALLER
PHONED THE AIRPORT CLAIMING THAT THE SNM HAD PLANTED A BOMB ABOARD THE
AIRCRAFT WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO DETONATE WITHIN FOUR HOURS. THE PLANE
WAS RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE SEYCHELLES AIRPORT FOR A THOROUGH
SEARCH BY SEYCHELLES AUTHORITIES. AFTER TWO HOURS OF SEARCHING, THE
PLANE WAS CLEARED TO RESUME ITS FLIGHT, WELL BEFORE THE FOUR HOUR
DEADLINE.'
i
JAPRFT-3. THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED NERVOUSNESS ON THE PART OF THE
SEYCHELLES GOVERNMENT SINCE JANUARY 1986 REGARDING ITS OWN INTERNAL
SECURITY. THE ABOVE AIRLINE INCIDENTS WERE THE MOST NOTA- BLE SIGNS OF SNM
ACTIVITIES WITHIN SEYCHELLES. ANOTHER RECENT EVENT OCCURRED ON THE ISLAND
OF PRASLIN. BARRY ((TIRANT)) WAS ARRESTED DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
OF 1 FEBRUARY 1986 FOR TRYING TO SET FIRE TO A GAS STATION IN GRAND ANSE.
TIRANT IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE JAIL OF THE SEYCHELLES CENTRAL POLICE
STATION. COMMENT: TIRANT IS WELL-KNOWN OPPOSITIONIST TO THE
GOVERNMENT WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE 1982 UNSUCCESSFUL MUTINY OF
SEYCHELLES MILITARY DURING WHICH HE LOST A LEG. HE WAS RELEASED FROM
PRISON IN 1985 FOR HIS ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES AND HAS BEEN CLOSELY
WATCHED EVER SINCE.)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
sSlit4Pi21. COMMENT: THERE IS AN INCREASING FEELING THAT THE SITUATION (b)(3)
HAS BECOME A BIT MORE TENSE IN SEYCHELLES DURING JANUARY 1986. SOME EXTRA
SECURITY PRECAUTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AROUND POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND
OTHER GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS. THERE ARE RUMORS CIRCULATING THAT THE
_SF-cRE-ThiNeFeRrcr 2
Approved for Release: 2020/03/26 C06849657
Approved for Release: 2020/03/26 C06849657
_SELRNeffiRicr�
OPPOSITION IS PLANNING A MAJOR ACTION INSIDE SEYCHELLES FOR MARCH 1986, BUT
SO FAR THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE BASED MOSTLY ON RUMOR.)
Collection: CC
Creator:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Description: (U) None
Language: en
(b)(3)
Precedence: P
Source:
Subject: None
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
aECR&T)CiNeffaTrq- 3
Approved for Release: 2020/03/26 C06849657