MALE: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has affirmed that no Indian military personnel, not even those in civilian clothing, would be present inside his country after May 10.
Muizzu’s statement comes less than a week after ostensibly an Indian civilian team, but in reality military officials, reached the Maldives to take charge of one of the three aviation platforms in the island nation, well ahead of the Mat 10 deadline agreed by the two country’s for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.
Addressing a community in Baa atoll Eydhafushi during his tour across the atoll, President Muizzu stated that due to his government’s success in expelling Indian troops from the country, people who spread false rumours, are attempting to twist the situation, a news portal Edition.mv reported. “That these people [Indian military] are not departing, that they are returning after changing their uniforms into civilian clothing. We must not indulge such thoughts that instil doubts in our hearts and spread lies,” the portal quoted Muizzu as saying.
“There will be no Indian troops in the country come May 10. Not in uniform and not in civilian clothing. The Indian military will not be residing in this country in any form of clothing. I state this with confidence,” he said.
Within hours of taking oath, last year, Mizzu in his inaugural address to the parliament demanded India to remove its personnel from the strategically located archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The decision follows Muizzu’s formal call to India to withdraw its military personnel, citing a strong mandate from the Maldivian populace.
Edition.mv further reported that while the first troops to depart the country are the Indian military personnel operating the two helicopters in Addu City, the military personnel present in Haa Dhaalu atoll Hanimaadhoo and Laamu atoll Kahdhoo are also expected to leave ahead of May 10.
Further highlighting that securing true independence is a concept he regards with utmost priority, the President remarked that the State is exerting efforts with due importance to regain the southern maritime area deprived of the country in addition to expelling Indian troops from the Maldives.
