In 2018, Seychelles and India signed an agreement to build and operate a joint military facility on a portion of the island.

[1][2][3] The plan caused public protests by activists who believed that the islands should stay out of the brewing India-China regional conflict.

[4] Assumption Island was discovered by Captain Nicolas Morphey on 14 August 1756, and was named after the religious feast of the next day.

Due to the disruptive effect of guano mining which lasted until 1983, the island is dominated by expanses of bare rock and caves, and is sparsely covered with low-growing vegetation.

[8] The island is bisected by a 1,210 metres (3,970 ft) concrete airfield (ICAO: FSAS) running between the two sand dunes on the southeast point to the village on the western coast.

[21] Recently, the deal for an Indian military base in Seychelles was declared as ‘dead’ by the Island's opposition party.

The leader of the opposition also clearly stated that this was the end of the ‘assumption agreement’ and no further discussions on India's military base were on the agenda.

[25] The nature documentary of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Louis Malle, The Silent World was partially shot on Assumption.