(Seychelles News Agency) - A group of 22 officers from the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) and the Special Forces were rewarded for their bravery in a ceremony at State House on Friday.  

The officers were each presented a medal of honour by the President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, and the chief of the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), Brigadier Michael Rosette. 

The officers were rewarded for their bravery after rescuing a crew of six Sri Lankan fishermen who were being held hostage by Somali pirates in late January.

Meanwhile, Brigadier Rosette was presented with the “Medaille de chevalier du mérite Maritime” (Medal of the Knight of the Order of Maritime Merit) by the French government for his services in maritime security. The honour is the highest given by the French government for naval officers.

“He has worked for over 15 years in cooperation with the French forces and this serves as recognition from the French government for his contribution,” said Brigadier General Jean-Marc Giraud, the commander of the French Armed Forces in the Southern Indian Ocean (FAZSOI).

This medal presentation ceremony was done in the presence of other high-ranking officials from the SDF, along with the French Ambassador to Seychelles, Olivia Berkeley-Christmann and members of the FAZSOI.

Ramkalawan, who is the Commander in Chief of the SDF, commended the officers for their bravery and praised them for their professionalism.

“You have shown your determination, and through your courage, you were able to do what was necessary and I want to congratulate you all,” said the President.

The director of operations at the SCG, Hans Radegonde, who was also rewarded with a medal, described the incident in a previous interview with the media.

“After a preliminary inspection, we observed that the people on board the boat were armed, and the closer we got, we were able to confirm that they were Somali pirates. They resisted for about five to six minutes and would not stop their boat. They even fired shots at the Coast Guard. But this was quickly put under control. This was a delicate operation, especially with hostages involved, thankfully we did not have any casualties,” said Radegonde.