Global broadcast: Regis Francourt
27th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyIt was good to have a meeting of the TRNUC Victims’ Association broadcast globally online and hear what was said. Indeed, I hope President Ramkalawan took note.Association official... more...
Musical welcome: A Maore cultural group
25th March 2024
Former Seychelles tourism minister Alain St.Ange has been promoting the merits of the Vanilla Islands.Now an independent tourism consultant, he was speaking in Mayotte, which he visited during a lectu... more...
Much missed: Elvis Dias in younger days
14th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyThis is such a sad time as I have lost another dear friend, Elvis Dias.He died four days after his 66th birthday and with family and friends, I attended his funeral at Our Lady of the Vi... more...
By Lewis Betsy  The scandal of what is happening with the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission is an outrageous insult to the people of Seychelles. In his State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ramkalawan referred to the TRNUC, but he never offered anything serious or concrete concerning what would happen to the victims. I had previously warned that the Commission looked doomed to fail.  Yet it must not fail. The Government must not let the victims down. The truth is that the TRNUC has become a joke for the LDS Government. They are playing politics with it and applying a delaying tactics strategy with the victims.  The time has come to say enough is enough. My case number is No 2 and I am sure by now the Government must have had an idea where mine and all the many other cases were heading. It is not that difficult. We simply want justice and compensation for all the hurt we have suffered since 1977.  Naturally, we need answers to achieve closure.  In the meantime, we are forced to wait and trauma continues to impact families. Those that decided to stay in Seychelles have also suffered, but it was their choice not to bring their cases to the TRNUC.  It appears there is a blame culture going on: We are not children of Seychelles now because we brought our cases to the TRNUC. However, the suffering goes on for all.. For some victims it is too late. They have died with no answers forthcoming. So I ask: Where are the lists and names of the perpetrators? Why is the President keeping the lists from us? Is he protecting someone? Of the few perpetrators who came to the TRNUC, only five or six of them publicly said sorry for what they had done. And that was it. I note that many other known perpetrators are out and about in town, mixing freely with the public. It has become a sick joke and we, the victims, are suffering. The fact is I believe the TRNUC has become such a shambles that no one wants to deal with it. The LDS have the power they want and are cynically running the country without a care in the world. They have no sense of responsibility or duty. The LDS government is trying to wash its hands when it comes to paying the victims – though I see that they managed to find the money to pay all the Commissioners.  Yet who set up this scenario in the first place? It was Ramkalawan and former President Danny Faure. Timing is all, of course, and there are elections next year. We’ve got to watch it, or LDS might use the victims again to get another term in office. The more you think about the issue the more it makes you sick. How on Earth are we ever going to achieve unity in Seychelles when this situation persists?
11th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyThe scandal of what is happening with the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission is an outrageous insult to the people of Seychelles.In his State of the Nation Address (SONA... more...
Hope: Lewis Betsy meets President Danny Faure at State House on 16th March 2017 to discuss unity.
11th March 2024
By Lewis BetsyI write this with a great sense of loss and despair. For decades now I have campaigned for my beloved Seychelles to achieve unity.It is now March 2024 and there is nothing like it in sig... more...
1st March 2024
By Lewis BetsyWe heard optimistic words about the future of Seychelles from President Wavel Ramkalawan in his State of the Nation Address for 2024, but will these hopes be fulfilled?He talked about th... more...
Expert: Alain St.Ange addresses the audience at the African-Asian Union ceremony
29th February 2024
Seychelles tourism expert Alain St.Ange was part of the awards panel that declared Sharm El-Sheikh the Tourism Capital City 2024.The former Tourism Minister for Seychelles who now heads his own touris... more...
Devoted mother: Helen Azolan
31st January 2024
By Lewis BetsyIt was with great sadness that my wife and I said a final farewell to our dear friend Helen Azolan.Helen, a much-loved mother of four, died aged 64, and Seychellois families and friends ... more...

Numbers add up for accounts girl Christine as she is crowned Miss Seychelles

9th June 2016

Accounts assistant Christine Barbier got the number just right when she won the top beauty title in Seychelles.

But Christine's said her legs were shaking when she won Miss Seychelles Another World 2016.

After she was awarded the Miss Personality, Miss Sport and Miss Talent titles, the 24-year-old from Cascade realised the title could be hers.

Christine Barbier
Christine Barbier

“My legs had started to shake,” she said.

She was crowned by the outgoing Miss Seychelles, Linne Freminot, at the International Conference Centre in Victoria.

Away from the glitz however, Christine has other aims.

She will embark on a year-long experience as a role model and ambassador for the country. One of her main tasks is to prepare for the Miss World beauty pageant later in the year.

Her priority she says is to “see through my beauty with a purpose project and make it a success”.

Christine's project called “Children's Home - Comfort, Care, Continuity” is helping to build a hostel or apartment for young adults who were brought up in a children's home and who have a hard time finding a home upon reaching age 18.

The other finalists on the night were Sophie Rosette, Rita-Maria Durup, Samiya Albert, Samira Nicoire and Lianne Barbé.

Samira Albert and Lianne Barbé were crowned the second and first princesses respectively.

Samira Albert, 18, from Pointe Larue, also took home the prize for best evening gown. Lianne Barbé, 19, and the only contestant from Praslin, won Miss Photogenic and the people’s choice award. The people’s choice was based on a nation-wide public voting, online and through SMS.

Sophie Rosette, whose beauty with a purpose project was about creating awareness on the need to protect Seychelles' coastlines from erosion, took home the prize for displaying best effort.

Finalists: The girls in the pageant
Finalists: The girls in the pageant

Latest News

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