Overstepping bounds: Military autonomy and accountability questioned in prison riot inquiry |29 May 2026
Overstepping bounds: Military autonomy and accountability questioned in prison riot inquiry
The ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the December 2024 Montagne Posée prison riot has cast sharp scrutiny on the operational boundaries separating the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) from local law enforcement. Yesterday, newly appointed Chief of Staff Colonel Michael Hollanda faced rigorous questioning from commissioners over a controversial deployment that ended in inmate deaths and multiple injuries.
Colonel Hollanda’s testimony exposed structural irregularities within the forces, raising systemic concerns about the military chain of command, human rights training, and the controversial use of heavy weaponry inside a correctional facility.
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