Category Archives: Seychelles

The Seychelles embassy in Cuba is the first of that African nation to be opened in Latin American and the Caribbean region

Danny Faure arrived in Havana last April 25th, for an oficial visit. (Photo: ACN)

Seychelles President, Danny Faure, opened his countrys embassy in Cuba this Wednesday, as part of his official visit to the Caribbean nation.

The Seychelles embassy in Cuba is the first of that African nation in the Latin American and Caribbean region and its opening took place by late 2016.

As part of its program of activities, the Seychells statesman will also lay a wreath to honor Cuban National Hero, Jose Marti, at the Memorial Monument in the Revolution Square.

He also expects to meet with Cuban National Assembly President, Esteban Lazo.

Cuba and Seychelles established diplomatic relations on April 12th, 1978, and have maintained close cooperation in medical care, especially disease and pest control, as well as in sports, cultural, economic and social spheres.

According to official data, more than 200 young people have studied in Cuban universities and other educational centers.

About 16 young people are currently studying on the Caribbean island, where Faure took university studies and graduated as a Bachelor on Political Science in 1985.

Seychelles is an East African state, made up of 115 islands located in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. The capital, Victoria, is inhabited by a third of the countrys population.

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Visiting Seychelles President Inaugurates Embassy in Havana - Escambray

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Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, announced the appointment of Michael Berlouis as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Berlouis joins Air Seychelles from Etihad Airways, where he held the position of Manager Financial Planning, with responsibility for the design, implementation and management of financial planning systems and forecasts, including the collation of annual budgets, five-year plans, cabin profitability and traffic flow profitability.

Most recently the Seychellois finance professional completed an assignment in Belgrade as the Head of Financial Planning and Control at Air Serbia, an Etihad Aviation Group airline.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, welcomed the appointment, saying: We are pleased to welcome Michael to Air Seychelles as our new Chief Financial Officer.

His considerable experience in all aspects of corporate finance will be invaluable in continuing to drive profitability as we expand our network to Dsseldorf in Germany and Durban in South Africa.

Over the last few years we have placed a large focus on succession planning at Air Seychelles and it is heartening to see another Seychellois national join our senior management team.

Michael Berlouis, a CFA charter holder, has a Masters degree in Finance and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mr. Berlouis said: I am delighted to join the Air Seychelles team as the airline embarks on the next significant chapter of its development.

Michaels experience in aviation-related financial roles provides a strong foundation to support the national airline as it grows its network, ensuring that Air Seychelles continues to strengthen its business and achieve its commercial objectives.

Mr. Berlouis takes over the role from Abdul Mohsen Al Sayegh, who is returning to Abu Dhabi to take up the position of Vice President Finance of Etihad Airways Engineering, Hala Group and Etihad Airport Services, following a successful secondment at Air Seychelles.

Mr. Kinnear thanked Mr. Al Sayegh for his strong contribution to the airline, saying: By focusing on managing costs and building revenue, Abdul Mohsen played a key role in the continuing profitability of Air Seychelles.

We wish him well in his new role as Vice President Finance in the Etihad Aviation Group.

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Air Seychelles Announces the Appointment of a New Chief Financial ... - Aviation Tribune

Raul and his counterpart from Seychelles also addressed issued of the international agenda. (Photo: ACN)

The meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere and reaffirmed the two leaders willingness to continue strengthening cooperation ties

Army General Ral Castro Ruz, president of the Councils of State and Ministers, received this April 27, His Excellency Danny Faure, president of the Republic of the Seychelles, making an official visit to the country.

Visiting Seychelles President Inaugurates Embassy in Havana

The meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere, during which the two dignitaries discussed the satisfactory state of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their willingness to continue strengthening cooperation ties, while also addressing issues on the international agenda.

The distinguished visitor was accompanied by Macsuzy Mondon, designated minister and minister of Local Government; Claude Morel, secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Aude Labaleine, secretary of state for Presidential Affairs.

Participating on the Cuban side were Bruno Rodrguez Parrilla and Rogelio Sierra, minister and deputy minister of Foreign Relations, respectively.

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Ral Castro Held Talks with President of Seychelles - Escambray

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Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles has recorded a strong first quarter of 2017 by carrying 143,761 passengers, representing an increase of 12.4 per cent over the results achieved during the same period in 2016 (127,923 passengers).

The airlines domestic operations made a strong contribution to the Q1 2017 results, with passenger volumes rising 13.7 per cent year-on-year, to 55,431.

This growth in domestic traffic was driven by Air Seychelles ramping up the daily frequency of interisland flights between Mah and Praslin, offering more travel options for residents, day-trippers and tourists arriving on international flights to Seychelles.

March was a particularly strong month for the flag carrier, with more than 20,271 passengers travelling on its domestic flights.On its international network, Air Seychelles saw passenger numbers grow by 11.5 per cent, to 88,330. The busiest origin-and-destination routes were Seychelles-Abu Dhabi and Seychelles-Johannesburg.

Jean Weeling-Lee, Chairman of Air Seychelles, said:

Air Seychelles continues to fly high in 2017 and is delivering remarkably on its mandate of supporting the growth of tourism in Seychelles.More and more people are choosing to fly with Air Seychelles, cementing our position as the airline of choice in the Indian Ocean.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said:

Our strong performance in Q1 2017 is a testament to the effectiveness of our business strategy and unwavering focus on our guests.

It is even more impressive as these numbers were largely achieved prior to the introduction of our new Airbus A330, two new Twin Otter turboprops, and the expansion of our network to Dsseldorf and Durban, which all occurred in mid to late March.

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Air Seychelles achieves strong Q1 2017 results - Aviation Tribune - Aviation Tribune

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The Seychelles Principal Secretary for Tourism, Anne Lafortune, represented the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, at the 59th meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Commission for Africa (CAF).

During the meeting, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from April 18-21, 2017, the UNWTO Secretary General, Dr. Taleb Rifai, presented to the members a summary of the activities carried out by the organization for the past year.

Members also heard reports of the various UNWTO committees.

An interactive session on the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 also took place. There were presentations from various experts and interactions from members present.

In the framework of the CAF meeting, a high-level meeting on Chinese Outbound Tourism to Africa was also held.

The main objective of the meeting was to strengthen the understanding of the inter-related dynamics of Chinas source market and African destinations and provide guidance for government policy to African member states, Chinese officials, and the private sector.

The meeting was structured into two panel sessions, namely on harnessing Chinese outbound market-opportunities and challenges for sustainable tourism development in Africa and skills development, cooperation, and investment.

Mrs. Lafortune took part in the panel sessions and shared with those present which included many African tourism ministers, the experiences that appeal to Chinese tourists coming to Seychelles.

She also gave details on how Seychelles goes about creating memorable and customized service for Chinese travelers.

Mrs. Lafortune also spoke about the collaboration that Seychelles has with other countries and organizations such as the Vanilla Islands, East3Routes, and Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA) to market the region and offer more options and experiences to tourists.

She added that the panel discussions were very fruitful. As expected, it incited many discussions and debates on how African destinations can explore their potential more effectively and tap into the opportunities arising from the fast-growing Chinese tourism outbound market.

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Seychelles Tourism Principal Secretary takes part in United Nations high-level tourism meeting - eTurboNews

Sinach, born Osinachi Kalu is an Award Winning Nigerian Gospel Singer and song writer who has gained more and more recognition is in Seychelles for a two day stop. Sinach is reputed to have written to date well over 300 songs.

She flew into the islands by Ethiopian Airlines last Saturday together with Alain St.Ange, the islands former Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, and now the Seychelles Candidate for Secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) who was returning home after attending the UNWTO CAF Meeting of African Ministers in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

As they posed in Ethiopian Airline for a souvenir photo in the company of Anne Lafortune, the PS for Tourism of Seychelles and Meseret Tekalign, the Seychelles Manager of Ethiopian Airlines, former Seychelles Minister St.Ange wished Sinach well and a great stay in Seychelles. The Nigerian Award Winning Gospel Singer and former Minister St.Ange also used the opportunity to discuss the friendly tiesexistingbetween Seychelles and Nigeria.

In her open air Gospel Concert in Victoria, the Capital of the Seychelles,Sinachmentioned her meeting with Minister St.Ange and saidpubliclythat she wished him well with the Seychelles bid for Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

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Nigeria award-winning gospel singer Sinach is in Seychelles - eTurboNews

The Seychelles is many things: an archipelago of over 100 islands, an oasis of rare flora and fauna, and a haven of dreamy beaches and colourful Creole food. The idyllic surroundings on thisIndian Ocean island nationmake it feel like a world away from the everyday. To help you get the most out of your Seychelles holiday, here are some top tips on things to do, see and taste.

Theyre some of the worlds best, so dont miss the beaches when you come to the Seychelles islands. Pack your swimming gear, sun cream and your favourite book, and get ready to enjoy some serious R&R. There are so many beaches here, you might be wondering where to start. Dont worry, take a look at these highlights:

As the home of so many five-star resorts and prestigious hotels, luxury is not difficult to find in the Seychelles. Go on, spoil yourself you are on holiday, after all. Here are a couple of indulgent picks for the perfect all-inclusive holiday or Seychelles honeymoon:

If theres one thing you have to pack for your Seychelles holiday, its an appetite. Theres something to tantalise every tastebud, whether youre in the mood for comfort food or fine dining. These are a few of the best spots:

When youve had your fill of picturesque beaches and delicious food (or even if you havent), head off the beaten track and discover the less explored side of the Seychelles. Here are some experiences you wont want to miss:

The Seychelles has a rich and varied history, remnants of which are dotted over its many islands. Find out more with these cultural and historical highlights:

The Seychelles is an incredible destination to visit all year round. But if youre looking for something a little different on your getaway this year, plan it to coincide with any one of these exciting events:

Mouth-watering cuisine, idyllic beaches and fascinating culture are waiting for you on a holiday in the Seychelles. To start planning your getaway or to learn more about our exclusive Seychelles holiday deals, check out ourrange of hotels and packages now.

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Seychelles Holidays 2017/2018 | All Inclusive | Virgin Holidays

Another three countries have seen the Queens Baton Relay for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast come to their shores after it passed through Tanzania, Seychelles and Mauritius.

After touring Kenya, the Baton was taken to Tanzania, the eighth leg of the relay for the Games in Australia.

During its time in the east African nation, it was taken to the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

It also visited the city of Arusha where the Baton was taken to the School of St Jude, which was set up in 2002 to provide free education in a private school setting.

After Tanzania, the Baton went to the Seychelles, where it visited 23 schools on the nations main island Mahe.

The Baton was also carried by lifeguards, who had been trained by Australians, in a surf rescue boat at the Anse Lazio beach.

It was also taken by an ox-drawn cart to meet the Aldabra giant tortoise, one of the worlds oldest living creatures.

The tenth stop of the Baton relay was Mauritius where it was met by President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, who started the relay from State House.

Swimmer Bradley Vincent, who became the first Mauritian to make it through the qualifying rounds of the Games when he did so at Glasgow 2014, was another Baton carrier.

The Baton is currently in Malawi and will then head to Zambia, Namibia and Botswana.

Each member nation of the Commonwealth will have the Baton pass through their country before the 2018 Games, which are due to run from April 4 to 15.

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Queen's Baton visits Tanzania, Seychelles and Mauritius - Insidethegames.biz

The women's family are searching for answers after two sisters mysteriously found dead in luxury hotel room. Time

Annie Korkki, 37 (R) and Robin Korkki, 42, were vacationing in Seychelles. Their bodies were found in their villa on Sept. 22.(Photo: Chris Korkki via KARE-TV)

Two American women found dead while vacationing on an African island diedfrom fluid in their lungs, according to Seychelles authorities.

AnnieKorkki, 37, and Robin Korkki, 42,were found unresponsivein their room at the Maia Luxury Resort and Spaon Sept. 22, two days before they were scheduled to leave a resort on Seychelles, an island off the coast of Africa,according to AP.

An autopsy report, released by Seychelles authorities, statedthe women died fromacute pulmonary edema orfluid in their lungs,The Seychelles News Agency reported Friday.Cerebral Edema was also listed as a contributing cause for AnnieMarie.

According to Mayo Clinic, acute pulmonary edema is typically caused by heart problems, but can be caused by pneumonia and exposure to some toxins and or medications.

Earlier this week, the sisters' brother, Chris Korkki told KARE-TV, the family hadreceived very little information.

"It's all very surreal," Chris Korkki told KARE 11. "We don't know very much. Our family is still very much in shock. We're devastated."

Seychelles police spokesman JeanToussaint told local mediathe women were seen drinking throughout the day and had to be helped back to their room.

He told CNN the women did not have any signs of trauma when hotel management found theirbodies in the villa they were staying in the next day.

"Preliminary examination done by the police on their bodies did not show any signs of violence," Toussaint told CNN.

Police collectedvarious specimens from the sisters' room and are currentlyinvestigating the incident with the assistance of the U.S. Embassy in Mauritius, according toThe Seychelles News Agency.

Chris Korkki said family members are traveling to the island to find out more information and bring thesisters' bodies backto the U.S., AP reported.

He told AP the women women were adventurous and traveled often.

"They were frequent travelers both domestically and internationally," he said. "They were kind and generous and compassionate, and were wonderful people that had a positive impact on a huge number of people.

Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.

Contributing: KARE-TV

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Two sisters found dead in Seychelles died from this condition

Sunday April 16 2017

Ali Mwakwere (left) Minister for Transport and Bill Parkinson, Chairman of Phoenix Aviation, have a word during the launch of ExecuJet Aviation Group on May 26, 2009. Parkinson resigned from Safari Rally Limited. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Two notable events happened in the last one week one was the visit of the Uganda-born Seychelles President Danny Faure and the other was the death of Bill Parkinson, the former Safari Rally chairman and aviation industry investor.

Parkinson is the man who recently sold his airline to an American mercenary, Erik Prince, a former US Navy Seal and the founder of the notorious Blackwater, a private army outfit.

The visit by President Faure was significant, not because it was his first state visit to any country since his election in October 2016, but because it was the first by a sitting Seychelles president since the July 1990 premier visit by President France Albert Ren.

SEYCHELLES COUP Faure is a member of Rens former party, Seychelles Peoples United Party, now known as Parti Lepep (Peoples Party), which deposed former President James Mancham, a known friend of Kenyas post-independence Cabinet minister Tom Mboya and Attorney General Charles Njonjo.

In his free time, too, Mancham would play squash with the likes of former Police Commissioner Bernard Hinga and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) boss Ignatius Nderi.

He was also an avid rally driver, the famous co-driver to Safari Rally ace Vic Preston.

Now, this is the forgotten story of how Bill Parkinson was entangled in the Seychelles coup a story that led to his exit from the Safari Rally and dramatic fall.

Two years ago, I had written the story of how former Police Commissioner Ben Gethi and Njonjo were involved in one of the many abortive Seychelles coups and attempts to reinstate Macham.

ASSASSINATION PLOT It is a story that he always wished away and close friends say as much.

In the final Njonjo Commission of Inquiry Report by Justice Cecil Miller, Parkinson is dismissed as an acrobatic liar ... (who) shamelessly admitted having lied freely (and) felt obliged to do so

When Mancham died aged 77 in January this year at his Glacis-Sur-Mer complex in Mahe, the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, there was hardly any mention of his political flirtation with the likes of Parkinson, who was fondly known as Babu in old age.

Thus President Faures visit is a notable diplomatic achievement given that Kenya and Seychelles have had a rough history thanks to escapades that partly involved Parkinson, a Kenyan citizen and former police officer, who served in the Special Branch for 14 years.

In 1986, President Rene was planning to visit Kenya in a bid to have President Moi throw out the many coup plotters who had camped for years in Nairobi.

The Kenyan visit was to follow the 1986 Non-Aligned Summit in Harare.

But a day before the meeting ended, Indias Prime Minister Rajiv Gadhi informed President Rene that his Minister for Defence, Ogilvy Berlouis, together with Raymond Bonte, were planning to assassinate him at the Victoria Airport once he returned from the Kenyan trip.

SECRET MISSION Gandhi gave Rene his presidential plane, Air India One, and disguised as a woman and wearing the Indian Sari dress, he flew back home.

This was part of what became known as Operation Flowers are Blooming the only time the Indian Navy helped thwart a coup in Africa.

Gandhi also sent a military naval ship, Vindhyagiri, which purported to have an engineering defect to dock for several weeks at Port Victoria; just in case.

Parkinson was an Irishman who had acquired Kenyan citizenship, and had strong connections to apartheid South Africa.

While doubling as a Special Branch officer then under the faceless sleuth James Kanyotu Parkinson had been approached by the CID deputy director DJ Irwin, and asked if he could participate in a secret venture. He agreed.

He was to have one of his planes fly the former Seychelles President Mancham and his cabinet back home after a plotted coup, led by South African mercenary Mad Mike Hoare, succeeded.

Also brought on board was Cedrick Vincent Gontier, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

FICTITIOUS TOURISTS It was Parkinson who agreed to reserve his aircraft November 821 Charlie Alpha and gave the fictitious names of the people who were to be on board.

He also applied to the Civil Aviation Board to have permission granted to fly the American tourists Mr and Mrs Morgan, Mr and Mrs Bowman and Mr Nescott to Seychelles.

He also engaged a New Zealander pilot, Captain Schraft, and another Nairobi-based Captain David Leonard as the navigator.

Parkinson had bought an air ticket for Capt Leonard to fly from London to Nairobi for the secret mission.

Parkinson had lied to Captain Leonard that this commission had the blessings of the Kenyan government and when asked who, he replied your previous employer.

Apparently, Leonard was previously working with Boskovic Air Charters where Njonjo was a director and shareholder.

A booking officer for Sunbird Aviation, which operated Parkinsons Beechcraft 200 aircraft, later admitted that it was Parkinson who booked the flight to Seychelles and provided the names of the fictitious tourists.

The names had been given to Parkinson by some Seychellois residing in Nairobi.

The tourists were to be flown to Seychelles from Mombasa on the day of the coup.

CHANGE STATEMENTS Interestingly, according to Parkinson, only five people in Kenya knew about the 1981 Seychelles coup.

These were Captain Shraft of the Norwegian Church Aid, Captain Leonard, Mr Irwin and Mr Gontier.

For all this, he was to receive Sh50,000 and the two pilots would have received Sh6,000 each.

He also later admitted to have spoken to Njonjo about the coup.

How much Parkinson knew about the Seychelles coup will never be known since he had been sworn to secrecy by Irwin, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, and his deputy Gontier, the man who was handling the flight matters.

The reason Gontier and Parkinson were the main contacts was because Gontier, though a senior Kenyan police officer, was Seychellois a great supporter of former President Mancham.

During the 1984 Njonjo Commission of Inquiry, Parkinson tried to influence the two pilots to change their statements in order to cover-up the role of Sunbird Aviation.

And when he was cornered and asked whether he ever discussed the Seychelles matter with Njonjo, he said: My discussions were centered on the Safari Rally and I may have referred to Seychelles in loose terms

That was when Justice C.B. Madan got worked up with Parkinsons lies: Come on, cut these Safari Rally matters and put them in your pocket and talk about Seychelles ...

At the squash court of the Aero Club in Nairobi, Parkinson had discussed the Seychelles matter with both Captain Shraft and Captain Leonard.

I recall telling them that they will take the aircraft to the Seychelles flying the Seychelles cabinet in exile back to the Seychelles

At the time of the planned flight, President Moi was the chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

When President Rene accused Kenya of having a hand in the planned coup, the small group of Kenyans who knew the truth kept quiet.

Actually, Moi dismissed Renes statement as malicious and was backed by his Minister of State GG Kariuki. Both, most likely, had been kept in the dark.

I was aware in my heart that the allegations were not entirely without foundation, Parkinson later admitted, what was uppermost in my mind at that time was the protection of the state in view of the fact that I was aware that the Kenya government was implicated through CID headquarters.

RESIGNATION FROM RALLY As a result of Parkinsons dalliance with Seychellois exiles, relations between Kenya and Seychelles hit rock-bottom.

That Parkinson emerged from the Njonjo inquiry as a liar is well documented.

He was often criticised for making contradictory statements.

At one time, lead counsel Lee Muthoga told him: Mr Parkinson, a liar must have a good memory and that is the weakness in your whole setup. You would want to lie and lie, and your memory is so bad.

At the point where he said that he never saw the need to tell Njonjo what he knew about the Seychelles plot and what he had discussed with Irwin, Parkinson was cut short by Justice Miller You are so hopeless, he was told.

Parkinson would immediately resign from Safari Rally Limited and he was replaced by Nicholas Nganga.

PRINCE'S MERCENARIES He would continue to work in the aviation industry and set up the largely successful Phoenix Aviation in 1994.

It was a passion that he had ever since at age 18 when he was taught to fly a Tiger Moth at Wilson airport by two ex-RAF pilots.

His Phoenix Aviation provided first generation jet aircraft to Amref Flying Doctors, and Parkinson with his son Steve now Phoenix CEO, have been running the company.

Interestingly, Parkinson recently sold some of his shareholding to the notorious American mercenary Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater blamed for the killings of Iraq civilians when it served as a military contracting firm.

The Washington Post once described the firm as a symbol for mercenaries and impunity in Iraq and elsewhere.

Prince is also at the heart of the Trump administration and his sister Elisabeth Dee Betsy DeVos is Donald Trumps Secretary of Education, a story that we recently told here.

NO APOLOGY In other news perhaps unrelated, the Washington Post reported on April 3, 2017 that Prince was in Seychelles in January to meet some United Arab Emirates officials as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump.

The White House has denied that story and Princes spokesman has said: Erik had no role on the transition team. This is a complete fabrication.

The meeting had nothing to do with President Trump. Why is the so-called under-resourced intelligence community messing around with surveillance of American citizens when they should be hunting terrorists?

And that is how Seychelles has a place in our political history thanks to Bill Parkinson and President Faures visit might help undo some of the damage done in years past.

You owe Kenya an apology, screamed the Daily Nation of June 22, 1984. But Parkinson never apologised.

Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, was on a one-day State visit to Kenya on Tuesday.

White cars are preferred by many due to their relatively lower prices.

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'Liar' who set off Kenya, Seychelles clash - Daily Nation