50th Anniversary of the landing of Archbishop Makarios in Seychelles |14 March 2006

Together with three other Cypriot deportees Bishop Kyprianos of Kyrenia, Reverend Stavros Papagathangelou (later nicknamed Reverend Papa) and Mr Polycarpos Joannides, who was a civilian in the party, the Archbishop first set sight on Seychelles from aboard the H.M.S. Loch Fadar. As he “gazed on the islands with their groves of coconut palms” he “was very much impressed by their natural beauty and also by the brilliant colours of the sea”.

These were his own words quoted in an article, extracted from the then local newspaper Le Seychellois written after his release from exile. Dubbed the “Turbulent Priests”, they were apparently the only deportees that Her Majesty The Queen wanted their period in exile to be as pleasant and comfortable as possible.

However the first few months were tense as their isolation was extremely strict. The exiles went on hunger strike when police dogs were brought to enhance the security against their escape and against anyone approaching to have contact with them from outside. Hasty preparations were made beforehand by Captain P.S. Le Geyt, who was appointed to be the Controller of the Household at Sans Souci, where the Archbishop and his compatriots were to be lodged.

The Archbishop, born on August 13, 1913 as Mihalis Christodoulou Mouskos, was the son of a shepherd. He was a tall, slim and dignified man and his black silk robes which were his attire when he arrived in Seychelles, appeared to be both ancient and oriental to onlookers seeing them for the first time. He had aquiline features, with deep set dark eyes which bristled with intelligence and a powerful personality.

In his book Makarios in Exile Capt. Le Geyt described the Archbishop as being charming and that people who invariably met him said that “you cannot help liking him”. He is also described as being dignified and courteous of manner and bearing, which was rather strangely combined with a natural humility. Apart from his brilliant and imaginative mind, he also had a great sense of humour, as well as a lively spirit of curiosity and adventure. Even though he seemed to be a controversial figure and a canny politician to some Britons at the time, Capt. Le Geyt described him as a kind person who was concerned for those in poverty or need.

Upon his arrival at Sans Souci, Archbishop Makarios and the other deportees were read the Warrant of Detention and each was handed an official letter informing them that they would not be allowed to leave the precincts of the lodge grounds without an escort, or to communicate with any persons outside the demarcated with barbed wire perimeter of the lodge. Even if there were these constraints, Capt. Le Geyt wrote that the Cypriots were impressed with the lodge surroundings especially as it overlooked a magnificent view of Victoria Harbour, the sea and the inner islands. They never grew weary of looking at the view from the terrace.

In one of his many conversations with Capt. Le Geyt, the Archbishop pointed out that it was a strange coincidence that Sans Souci meant "without care" as his chosen name, Makarios also could be interpreted as ‘without worries’. He stated that the peace and beauty of Sans Souci soothed his sorrow over his exile and also calmed his anxieties. It was a place where he could meditate in tranquillity and find sanctuary away from the troubles of the outer-world. In his own words, the Archbishop said: “If I had stayed at Sans Souci under other circumstances, I could have been happy”.

While he was in exile in Seychelles, he was visited by delegates of the British Government who asked him to accept the proposed Radcliffe Constitution for the settlement of the Cyprus Question. Archbishop Makarios rejected their proposal. Greece’s argument at the United Nations was for the principle of self-determination to be applied to Cyprus.

On March 28, 1957 the Archbishop was released from exile on condition that he should not return to Cyprus. He and his fellow Cypriots left Seychelles on April 5, 1957 on board the Greek Tanker Olympic Thunder, after 13 months in exile.

On the morning of  his departure, Archbishop Makarios gave the editor of Le Seychellois a farewell message for publication and  authorized editor Gustave Decomarmond to state on his behalf that he greatly appreciated the hospitality (although in detention at Sans Souci)  and in return he was making the following grants:

n Rs3,000 to all his employees at the Sans Souci Lodge, as well as all his moveable furniture etc.
n Rs300 to the Samaritan Fund of the Seychelles Hospital.
Amongst the grants that he left behind was also £1,000  (first instalment) towards a Permanent Scholarship Fund for the students of Seychelles. Archbishop Makarios instructed that the money be invested and the interest devoted solely for the granting of scholarships to local children pursuing higher education at the fee paying Seychelles College and the Convent. The money was to be held in a trust under a committee consisting of His Lordship the Bishop of Port Victoria, the Venerable Archdeacon of Seychelles, the Reverend Mother Superior of the Convent School, the Reverend Brother Director of the Seychelles College and one or two other local people. This trust was later named Makarios Fund and having been  strengthened with fresh contributions, almost  two hundred students receive assistance from it every year.

After his departure from Seychelles, Archbishop Makarios went to Athens where he was accorded a triumphant reception by the people of Greece. From thereon, he attended the General Assembly of the United Nations to discuss the Cyprus Question until finally, after two years of negotiations, the result was that of the signing of the London Agreement and Cyprus was declared an independent republic. He was then free to return to his home country where he was elected the first President of the Republic on December 13, 1959.

In September 1972, Makarios returned to Seychelles for a visit. This time as the President of Cyprus  he was welcomed by the Governor Sir Bruce Greatbatch and the Chief Minister James Mancham.

During his stay he expressed the desire to buy the house of his exile. Because this was not possible he was offered by the local Government a piece of land to build his own house. Finally he bought several acres at Mount Josephine to build a retirement home and a small church.

In 1974 the invasion and occupation of North Cyprus by Turkey, caused many problems to his island republic. The ethnic cleansing pursued by Turkey caused  200,000 people to become refugees in their own country. The Archbishop was forced to start a new struggle for freeing his country from foreign occupation. Not an easy task for a small country to confront 40,000 Turkish troops enforcing the division of the island. He died unexpectedly on the August 3, 1977 of a heart attack, at the age of 64.  The land on Mount Josephine was subsequently donated to the Seychelles Government.    

His struggle for freeing his country from colonial rule inspired other colonies to do likewise and became a symbol of the anti colonial era.

Editor's note: The Seychelles Weekend Nation will dedicate its feature pages to this anniversary.