Disputes - international claims Chagos Archipelago in British Indian Ocean Territory

Current issues On 25 May 1997, the democratically-elected government of President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH was overthrown by disgruntled army personnel under the command of Major Johnny Paul KOROMA; President KABBAH fled to exile in Guinea. The Economic Community of West African States Cease-Fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) forces, led by a strong Nigerian contingent, undertook the suppression of the rebellion. They were initially unsuccessful, but, by October 1997, they forced the rebels to agree to a cease-fire and to a plan to return the government to democratic control by 22 April 1998. However, the agreed demobilization of the combatants was not carried out by the rebel junta. On 5 February 1998, hostilities broke out in the outskirts of Freetown and ECOMOG mounted a major offensive, completely routing the rebels. President KABBAH returned to office on 10 March to face the task of restoring order to a demoralized population and a disorganized and severely damaged economy.

NOTE: The information regarding Seychelles on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Seychelles Transnational Issues 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Seychelles Transnational Issues 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.