Seychelles has appointed the leadership of a new commission tasked with enforcing recommendations from the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC), which investigated human rights abuses stemming from a 1977 coup d’état.
George Bibi was named chairperson and Jacques Koui Gbilimou as vice chairperson of the Commission for the Enforcement, Implementation and Monitoring of the Recommendations of the TRNUC during its inaugural meeting, held shortly after members were sworn in before President Patrick Herminie at State House on Thursday.
The body is mandated to oversee the implementation of reparations and reforms proposed by the TRNUC, which operated from 2018 to 2022.
Established under then-President Danny Faure, the TRNUC investigated abuses committed during and after the coup that ousted President James Mancham and ushered in years of one-party rule until 1993.
The commission documented unlawful killings, disappearances, and other violations, including sexual violence.
Its final report recommended monetary reparations for survivors of rape, an independent inquiry into abuses linked to the National Youth Services programme, stronger public education to combat stigma, and policies outlawing sexual exploitation and violence against women.
The TRNUC also highlighted the enduring legacy of slavery and colonial rule in shaping racial and social divisions in Seychelles, noting that the coup and subsequent repression slowed progress towards democracy and human rights protections.
The 1977 Seychelles coup was a swift overthrow of President James Mancham by supporters of Prime Minister France-Albert René’s party, occurring less than a year after independence and ushering in decades of one-party rule.
The coup took place just one year after Seychelles gained independence from Britain in June 1976.
René’s government pursued socialist reforms, including nationalisation while critics accused it of human rights abuses and repression.
The TRNUC documented abuses linked to the coup and its aftermath, including unlawful killings, disappearances and repression.
JN/APA