02 December 2013, Male';Maldives has signed in a "Handover Note" with Puntland State of Somalia, to send back 40 Somalis, who were discovered adrift in Maldivian waters since December of 2009, to their homeland.
During a signing ceremony held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the handover note was signed on behalf of the Government of Maldives by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mr. Hassan Shifau and on behalf of Puntland State of Somalia by the Director General of Counter Piracy Mr. Abdirizak Ahmed.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms. Dunya Maumoon, UNICEF Representative in the Maldives Ms. Zeba Tanvir Bukhari and UNODC Associate Hostage Release and Repatriation Officer Mr. Leonardo Hoy-Carrasco.
The 40 Somalis are being send back to Somalia with assistance provided by UNODC.
ENDS.