Letter to the Editor - The first faux pas of the ‘Committee on truth, reconciliation and national unity’ |27 March 2017

During my childhood, political campaigns were joyfully orchestrated!  I remember Tonton Luicien Mathiot with his bell and placard singing his famous melody “en nou vote maman, en nou vote papa pour ….” Luicien went everywhere including Praslin and La Digue to campaign.

Bitter political animosities started in the early 1960s with the formation of the SPUP and SDP.

It is wrong for the current Committee, which comprises only young men, to investigate the painful events only after the coup d’état of 1977, which was very well masterminded by Mr F. A. René.

Contrary to popular belief Mr René did not start a political vendetta in Seychelles. Prior to 1977, there was serious victimisation and exile. I have copies of authentic documents to prove also that Mr Mancham also behaved like a dictator at times and that the Justice system during his time was in fact often corrupt.

Let us consider the “Reconciliation” in Ireland  which did not work, because they wanted mainly to expose the IRA, instead of starting with the original core of the cause of hatred and division, which was “Colonialism,” imposed by the Roman Catholic Church. It started in 1155, with the Bull Laudabilliter, ofPope Adrian IV, the only English Pope in history. This pope gave Henry II, the French born King of England, authority to subdue the Irish in a hostile manner. With authority obtained Henry II proceded  to enter Ireland and forcefully bring back that ‘beastly people’ (homines illos bestiales) to a more decent form of the faith in Christ and to persuade a much greater obedience to the Roman Catholic Church.

We are told by Antoine de Saint-Exupérythat “le plus beau metier des hommes, c’est d’unir les hommes”. It would have been an opportune moment for the  Committee to invite anybody who was victimised prior 1977! The Committee should also study any cases of mysterious death, that might have happened during that time. If not, their conclusion will be only one-sided and will cause endless hatred and division.

Julien Durup

A student of history

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this letter are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.