On the margins of the ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Balaclava, Mauritius, Seychelles convened a Friends of the Chair meeting of the Contact Group on Illicit Maritime Activities (CGIMA), bringing together partner states, regional organisations, and independent experts to address escalating security challenges in the Western Indian Ocean. Chaired by Seychelles’ Chief of Defence Forces Major General Michael Rosette, the hybrid‑format meeting focused on the ripple effects of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and Bab el‑Mandeb.
Rosette underlined that “these developments are being felt directly by countries of the region, particularly small island states whose security and economic wellbeing remain closely tied to the stability of the maritime domain.” Discussions centred on soaring freight and insurance costs, disrupted shipping routes, and the growing threat to undersea cables—critical infrastructure that carries nearly all international data and financial traffic.
The meeting also featured interventions from maritime‑security practitioners who highlighted the human dimension of the crisis, including the impact on seafarers and commercial shipping crews caught in conflict zones. Delegates stressed the importance of continued information‑sharing, capacity‑building, and institutional resilience, with the next CGIMA plenary session scheduled for July 2026.
For Seychelles, chairing the CGIMA is both a diplomatic responsibility and a strategic necessity. As an island nation whose exclusive economic zone dwarfs its landmass, maritime security is synonymous with national security. The discussions in Mauritius reflect a broader truth: in an era of geopolitical flux, small states cannot afford to be passive observers. They must actively shape the regional governance frameworks that will determine their own survival—and Seychelles, through forums like the CGIMA, is doing exactly that.
