Second batch of Indian military personnel leaves Maldives: President Muizzu
India to the Maldives has left the island nation as demanded by him, President Mohamed Muizzu has said. Muizzu, a pro-China leader, also reaffirmed that foreign ambassadors in Male will not wield authority over him emphasising that ultimate power rests with the citizens.
Last month, he had alleged that his predecessor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih operated on the orders from «a foreign ambassador» without naming any country.
He announced the withdrawal of the second Indian military contingent from the Maldives while speaking during a campaign event for the ruling People's National Congress party candidates ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 21.
«The first team has already gone. Now, on April 9, the soldiers on the second platform have also been withdrawn,» Muizzu, who has been demanding the withdrawal of foreign soldiers from the Maldives during his election campaign last year, was quoted as saying by the local media on Saturday.
Muizzu had set March 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the first group of Indian military personnel from his country.
Under an agreement between Maldives and India in February, New Delhi agreed to replace the Indian military personnel stationed in Maldives to oversee the operations of the military aircraft the country has gifted with trained civilians also from India.
Muizzu also said the Indian soldiers on the last aviation platform would also leave the Maldives before May 10 deadline set by him and that would mark the fulfillment of his pledge to remove Indian
