Seychelles Govt thwarts coup bid by ex-President

Press, 1 May 1978, Page 9

Seychelles Govt thwarts coup bid by ex-President

International

NZPA-Reuter Seychelles The Seychelles police have arrested a number of people believed to be involved in a plot to overthrow the Government, a Government spokesman has said.

An Interior Ministry statement. received in Nairobi, said that the former president, James Mancham, and three of his former Cabinet Ministers were involved. The statement said that large caches of arms were discovered in a dawn search launched after the police received information indicating that a coup would be attempted during President Albert Rene’s present trip to China. Mr Rene took over the Presidency of the Indian Ocean island group from Mr Mancham in a Left-wing coup last June. The statement did not say how many people had been arrested, but it said more ar-

rests might be made. It said that an old passenger ship had been bought by the plotters, and mercenaries had been assembled in the Kenyan port of Mombassa waiting to sail to the Seychelles. After last year’s coup, a small army was raised on the islands with Tanzanian help. the Interior Ministry said that the army, the police, and the militia had been carrying out exercises for several weeks to prepare to counter any attempt to overthrow the Government. In Peking, at the week-) end. President Rene spoke of I.

the perils States like his face from big-Power rivalry. He had arrived in Peking from the south China city of! Canton and received a colourful welcome at the airport where he was greeted by the Chinese Communist Party chairman (Mr Hua Kuo Feng) and other Chinese leaders. He said in a speech at al banquet in the Great Hall of! the People that the growing) military capability in the In-), dian Ocean of the Soviet Union and the United States threatened the sovereignty I and development of his is-1 jland country off the coast of: 1 Africa.