Seychelles: Minister Sylvestre Radegonde addresses Plenary Session on Peace and Stability at the 9th edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit (TICAD)

The 9th edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit (TICAD9) is taking place in Yokohama, Japan from 20th to 22nd August under the theme “Co-Create Innovative Solutions with Africa”.

During the first day of the Summit, Minister Sylvestre Radegonde addressed the plenary session on Peace and Stability. He stated that this year’s theme calls for deeper, more balanced, and forward-looking partnerships and in the context of the TICAD summit, he called for more enhanced cooperation between Africa and Japan, a partnership anchored in mutual respect and a shared commitment to peace, security, and development.

Highlighting the importance Seychelles places on Maritime Security, Minister Radegonde also pointed out that ‘Africa’s extensive maritime domain faces a growing array of transnational threats. From piracy, arms and drug trafficking, and illegal fishing, to human smuggling and emerging cyber risks, these challenges transcend national boundaries. They demand regional coordination, shared responsibility, and strong multilateral cooperation.’

He placed particular emphasis on fragility of Maritime trade in the region referring to the recent conflict in the Red Sea which led to the ‘rerouting of vessels away from the Suez Canal and disrupted African ports and supply chains, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen the resilience and security of maritime corridors.’

Minister Radegonde also mentioned the increasing importance of other domains of security such as Cybersecurity and called for collective efforts to ‘build cyber resilience, uphold digital sovereignty, and encourage the responsible and ethical use of such emerging technologies.’

Minister Radegonde commended Japan’s long-standing commitment and financial assistance to maritime security in Africa. He stated that ‘through the technical support provided to the UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme by the Japanese Government, has helped enhance law enforcement capabilities, strengthen institutional resilience, and improve operational coordination across coastal states.’

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.