Prime Minister Gaston Browne has defended his government’s efforts to deepen aviation ties with Africa, stating that Antigua and Barbuda is leading the Caribbean in forging historic and strategic links with the continent.

His comments came as Parliament ratified a new Air Services Agreement with Rwanda.

The Prime Minister dismissed opposition concerns about the controversial Antigua Airways initiative, arguing that the project was rooted in a long-term vision to reconnect the Caribbean with the African continent through trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

“We are not just talking the talk—we are walking the walk,” Browne said in Parliament.

“There is no other Caribbean country within recent times that has done more to strengthen the relationship with Africa. Others talk, but we are acting.”

Browne outlined Antigua and Barbuda’s longstanding engagement with African nations, referencing his own leadership role in regional efforts dating back to a 2000 CARICOM meeting co-chaired with then-Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and earlier engagements in Malta in 2015.

“Our late father of the nation, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, had strong ties with Kenya. We are continuing that legacy,” the Prime Minister said.

He explained that Antigua Airways was part of that broader vision, launched in 2022 to facilitate charter flights between Nigeria and Antigua. “We arranged for the first transatlantic commercial flight between Africa and the Caribbean,” he noted.

“The first flight went very well. There was no issue of anyone staying back.”

However, Browne acknowledged that a second flight brought a large number of conflict migrants from Cameroon, who had entered Antigua under the guise of tourism but were later discovered to be attempting to reach the United States.

“When we realised what was happening, we took action. We stopped the charter, brought in the International Organization for Migration and the UNHCR, and followed international protocols,” he said.

“They confirmed that these were refugees and advised that they could not be returned to Cameroon.”

Responding to opposition claims that the government failed to provide answers, Browne said all developments had been made public and criticised the United Progressive Party for politicising the issue.

“You exploited the opportunity and claimed we brought them here to vote—knowing full well they could not vote,” he told the House. “If you have evidence, bring it.”

Leader of the Opposition Jamale Pringle, while supporting the Rwanda agreement in principle, raised concerns about the government’s silence on the fallout from the Antigua Airways saga.

“We’re not against establishing the air services agreement,” Pringle said. “But we cannot have another situation like what we encountered with the Antigua Airways fiasco.”

He added: “To date, we heard about some drowning, but we haven’t gotten any update from the government… How many of them remain here?”

Pringle called for the Attorney General to release the findings of an investigation promised years ago, suggesting that the public deserves clarity on what transpired.

Browne rejected the notion that the issue was unresolved, noting that the migrants had been interviewed and vetted by international agencies, and many later left the country of their own accord.

“We cannot be held responsible for people smuggling themselves out,” he said. “What are we going to do—put a policeman with a gunboat on all 365 beaches?”

Browne said the new agreement with Rwanda—and upcoming ones with Ghana and Morocco—would support Antigua’s role as a transatlantic hub ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John’s.

“We are strategically positioned to facilitate these flights,” he said.

“And we intend to have several charters in place by CHOGM to welcome leaders from across Africa and the Commonwealth.”