Seychelles Backs Cuba’s Support for South Africa ICJ Case Against Israel
VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Seychelles has issued a statement reiterating its deep concern at the continuing escalation of violence by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, and expressing its support for the Republic of Cuba’s backing of South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice. The statement, released in Victoria on Monday, mirrors in many of its phrases the Cuban foreign ministry’s own communique on the South African filing of 29 December 2023. It is the first formal Seychelles’ foreign ministry response to the ICJ case.
The Seychelles statement frames the conflict as a 75-year-old occupation, and a continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It condemns the killing of Palestinian civilians and aid workers, and accuses Israel of acting with impunity because of the United States’ repeated use of the veto in the Security Council. The statement also notes that Cuba, as a state party to the Genocide Convention, has both the standing and the obligation to support legal action to prevent genocide.
For Seychelles, the statement is a small but explicit alignment with the African Union’s broader position on the conflict. The AU has called for an immediate ceasefire and for the protection of civilians. The Seychelles statement adds a specifically small-island perspective, focusing on the disproportionate impact of the conflict on women and children and on civilians more broadly. The statement does not call for sanctions, nor does it name any third party beyond the United States and Israel.
Diplomatic observers in Victoria said the statement was, in tone, somewhat stronger than recent Seychelles’ statements on the conflict, which have generally been confined to general calls for restraint. The shift, one observer suggested, reflects a desire to align more visibly with the African Union position. It is also consistent with the close historical ties between Seychelles and Cuba, which date back to the early 1980s and have included training scholarships, medical co-operation, and high-level political support.
The statement does not comment on the merits of the genocide allegation itself, but it does support the right of South Africa to bring the case under the convention. The court has not yet issued a provisional measures order in the case. Foreign ministry officials confirmed on Monday evening that no further statements on the case were planned in the immediate term.
