France-Albert René

France-Albert René (16 November 1935 – 27 February 2019) was a Seychellois lawyer, politician and statesman who served as the second President of Seychelles from 1977 to 2004.

France-Albert was born to Price René, a plantation manager and administrator, and Luisa Morgan René, a seamstress, on 16 November 1935 in Victoria, on the island of Mahe, Crown Colony of Seychelles, but spent early childhood on Farquhar.

The modest family did not belong to the upper class, despite their European origins.

The family returned to Victoria, Mahe when France Albert was 5-year-old boy and was sent to St Joseph’s Convent, and later to St Louis College.

With the help of scholarships, René was able to attend secondary education at Saint Louis College of the Marist Brothers in Victoria on Mahé.

In 1952, at the age of 17, René was granted a scholarship in Switzerland to study theology at the Capuchin Seminary of St Maurice in the canton Valais.

After his first year, in 1954, he was transferred to study law at St. Mary's College, Southampton, England, and later completed his university education at King's College London.

In 1957 he qualified as a lawyer at King’s College in London, serving until 1961, and joined Middle Temple.

While abroad, he became heavily involved in the politics of the Labour Party, at the time led by Clement Attlee and later Hugh Gaitskell.

These experiences led him to adopt a moderate socialist ideology that favoured some state intervention in the economy and strong ties with conservative forces such as the Roman Catholic Church – René's initial career goal was to join the priesthood.

Later, René denounced local church leaders who criticised his policies.

From 1962 to 1964 he also studied economics at the London School of Economics.

Upon returning to his homeland in 1964, young and enthusiastic René practiced law in Victoria.

However, he became disappointed with the social policies of British colonialism that created massive injustice among the population.

As a result, he decided to participate in the political development of his country.

René also launched a newspaper, The People.

It was not until 1964 that any new political movements were created.

In that year, the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP, later Seychelles People's Progressive Front, SPPF), the forerunner to today's party United Seychelles (US), was formed.

Led by France-Albert René, a founding member, they campaigned for socialism and independence from Britain.

The late London-trained lawyer James Mancham's Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), created the same year, by contrast represented conservatives, businessmen and planters and wanted closer integration with Britain.

After being elected to the legislative assembly of the colony in 1965, together with his party comrades, he actively fought for granting it self-government, and then independence.

These negotiations also restored the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Des Roches, which had been transferred from Seychelles in November 1965 to form part of the new British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), to Seychelles upon independence.

When Mancham told him he had been seen practicing with rifles on an uninhabited island, Rene coolly told him he had been shooting rabbits, and had a brace delivered to the president' s office.

Elections were held in 1966, won by the SDP.

In 1970 Seychelles obtained a new constitution, universal adult suffrage, and a governing council with an elected majority.

In March 1970, colonial and political representatives of Seychelles met in London for a constitutional convention, with the Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP) of James Mancham advocating closer integration with the UK, and the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP) of France-Albert René advocating independence.

Further elections in November 1970 brought a new constitution into effect, with Mancham as Chief Minister.

Further elections were held in April 1974, in which both major political parties campaigned for independence.

In 1975, in the colonial government, he became Minister of Public Works and Land Development of the coalition government, which also included representatives of the Democratic Party (DP).

He also served as the country's second Prime Minister from its independence in 1976 to 1977.

He was nicknamed by Seychellois government officials and fellow party members as "the Boss".

His name is often given as simply Albert René or F.A. René; he was also nicknamed Ti France.

Following the election, negotiations with the British resulted in an agreement under which the Seychelles became an independent republic within the Commonwealth on 29 June 1976.

The newly knighted Sir James Mancham became the country's first President, with René as Prime Minister, following assembly elections in which the Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP) came in second place.

While James Mancham was away overseas to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in London and celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, on 4–5 June 1977, less than a year after independence, between 60-200 partisan Tanzanian-trained supporters of René installed him as President of the Republic in an almost bloodless coup d'état.

René's claim that he was not party to the coup was challenged during hearing of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission in 2019 and 2020 when known a participant acknowledged that he had been involved in the planning and execution.

The insurgents took control of strategic points on Mahé.

The central police station was seized "virtually without a shot being fired."

In contrast, there was an exchange of fire at the Mont Fleuri police station, where the arsenal was kept.

Three men were killed and a policeman and one of the insurgents were killed in the fighting.