Lai overflight clearance revocation 'totally wrong': Ex-Seychelles president

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Former Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan said Thursday that his government's last-minute revocation of overflight permission in April for President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) chartered aircraft en route to Eswatini was wrong and should never happen again.

Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) Former Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan said Thursday that his government's last-minute revocation of overflight permission in April for President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) chartered aircraft en route to Eswatini was wrong and should never happen again.

"This [the decision] was totally wrong. And this is why I stood up, and the leader of the opposition also stood up to condemn that decision. And I hope this doesn't happen again," Ramkalawan told CNA during an interview in Taipei.

Ramkalawan was in Taiwan mainly to attend Liberal International's 65th Congress in Taipei. An Anglican priest, he served as president of Seychelles from 2020 to 2025.

Lai had originally been scheduled to travel to Eswatini, Taiwan's sole African ally, on April 22. The trip was suspended after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar abruptly revoked overflight clearance for his chartered aircraft.

Taiwan accused China of being behind the moves by the three Indian Ocean island countries. The foreign ministries of Seychelles and Madagascar also said they had rescinded the overflight permissions in accordance with their respective "one China" policies.

Taiwan subsequently rescheduled the trip, and Lai successfully visited the African kingdom from May 2 to 4 aboard King Mswati III's aircraft.

After his government made the decision in April, Ramkalawan issued a statement condemning the move.

"Seychelles has a long-established commercial relationship with Taiwan based on fishing agreements which have been beneficial to our country," the April 27 statement said.

"Its citizens have been free to enter or transit through our territorial waters and airspace. Overflight permission to the Taiwanese President should not be an issue in our relationship with China."

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