African Commission on Human and People’s Rights Calls on President Ramkalawan

VICTORIA, Seychelles — A delegation from the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights led by Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso paid a courtesy visit to President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House yesterday. The visit is part of a promotion mission currently taking place in the country from March 10 to 14, 2025, focused on assessing the state of human rights in Seychelles, with a particular emphasis on engaging with both state and non-state actors.

In their conversation, Commissioner Dersso and President Ramkalawan discussed a wide array of topics related to human rights in the country. According to Commissioner Dersso, the discussion centred on the purpose of the Commission’s visit — gaining a first-hand understanding of the human rights situation in Seychelles. The mission provides an opportunity for the Commission to engage at the national level to understand various challenges impacting human rights, from prison conditions to broader social issues like drug use, which has been identified as a significant concern for the well-being of Seychellois citizens.

One key issue discussed was a prison incident that occurred last year. The African Commission had issued a statement at the time calling for an investigation into the matter and it was encouraging to hear from the President that investigations were underway and various measures were being implemented to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. The delegation of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights also discussed the progress of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) report.