Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will travel to the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles on 26 October to witness the inauguration of President-elect Patrick Herminie, marking a significant diplomatic moment that reconnects two territories bound by a painful colonial history.
According to a letter read at Manhyia Palace, Herminie described the Asantehene’s presence as significant, citing the shared historical and cultural bond between the Asante Kingdom and the people of Seychelles. That bond is more than rhetorical flourish; it’s rooted in one of the darkest chapters of Asante resistance to British colonialism.
In 1896, the British exiled Asantehene Prempeh I to Seychelles after he refused to surrender Asante’s independence or hand over the sacred Golden Stool. When Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa later led the final resistance in 1900, known as the War of the Golden Stool, the British defeated the Asante forces and exiled her along with other leaders to join Prempeh I in the Seychelles. The Asante royal family remained in exile there for decades, making the islands both a place of suffering and an unexpected second home.
During his captivity in Seychelles from 1896 onwards, Prempeh I wrote “The History of Ashanti Kings and the Whole Country Itself,” begun in 1907 with information from his mother, the Asantehemaa Yaa Kyaa, who possessed encyclopedic knowledge of Asante oral history. That document, written in English which Prempeh learned during exile, remains a crucial text for understanding Asante history.
In keeping with Asante tradition, Otumfuo sought the Asanteman Council’s consent before deciding to honor Herminie’s invitation. The council unanimously approved, noting that the King’s presence would enhance the Asante Kingdom’s image internationally. It’s a practical decision, but also a symbolic full circle moment. Where Asante royalty once arrived as exiles stripped of power, the current Asantehene now travels as an honored guest of a newly elected head of state.
Herminie, leader of the United Seychelles Party, won the recent presidential runoff with 52.7% of the vote, defeating incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan, who garnered 47.3%. In his victory speech, the 62-year-old physician pledged to lower the cost of living, revive public services, and unite the island nation. He becomes Seychelles’s sixth president at a time when the archipelago nation of roughly 120,000 people faces economic challenges and concerns about corruption.
The invitation to Otumfuo isn’t random. Just seven months ago, in March 2025, Seychelles and the Asante Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding at Manhyia Palace to strengthen cultural ties through collaborative museum management, education, and development. Emmanuel D’offay, who signed for Seychelles, noted that the MOU testified to a bond between the two territories that dates back seven years.
That recent cultural agreement provides context for why Herminie would specifically invite the Asantehene to his inauguration. It signals that Seychelles under his leadership intends to deepen African connections, particularly with historically linked nations. For a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, such relationships carry both symbolic and practical value as Seychelles navigates its place in African continental affairs.
The inauguration is expected to draw regional and international dignitaries, underscoring Seychelles’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic and cultural relations across Africa. But Otumfuo’s attendance will carry unique weight given the intertwined histories of Asante resistance and Seychellois hospitality, however involuntary that hospitality initially was.
The British finally permitted Prempeh I’s repatriation in 1926, though they initially only allowed him the title Kumasehene, not Asantehene, before fully restoring Asante self-rule and the Asantehene title in 1935. The decades in Seychelles left an indelible mark on Asante consciousness, making the islands a place of both trauma and unexpected cultural exchange.
Now, more than a century later, an Asantehene returns not as an exile but as a distinguished guest honoring a democratic transition. It’s the kind of historical reversal that resonates deeply in both territories. For Seychelles, hosting Otumfuo acknowledges the complex shared past while celebrating present-day friendship. For the Asante Kingdom, the visit demonstrates how far both territories have come from colonial subjugation.
Whether this diplomatic gesture translates into deeper cooperation between Seychelles and Ghana, or specifically between Seychelles and the Asante Kingdom, remains to be seen. But the symbolism alone is powerful. The descendants of exiled royalty now travel freely, honored rather than imprisoned, welcomed rather than confined.
Herminie’s decision to extend this particular invitation so early in his presidency suggests he understands the historical significance and wants to signal his administration’s priorities. As Seychelles begins a new chapter under his leadership, connecting with African cultural institutions like the Asante Kingdom appears to be part of his vision for the country’s future.
For Otumfuo, attending the inauguration aligns with his role as a global ambassador for Asante culture and African traditional leadership. His international engagements consistently project soft power for both the Asante Kingdom and Ghana more broadly. This trip to Seychelles does that while also honoring a relationship forged in adversity and now flowering in partnership.