Maldives: Ex-minister accuses President Muizzu of fabricating claims about number of Indian troops

Former Maldivian Foreign Affairs Minister Abdulla Shahid has alleged that the claims made by his island nation’s President Mohamed Muizzu regarding the presence of “thousands of Indian military personnel” in the country are lies.

“President Muizzu's claims…were just another in a string of lies,” Shahid said in a post on X on Sunday. “The current administration’s inability to provide specific numbers speaks volumes. There are no armed foreign soldiers stationed in the country,” Shahid said.

Shahid is the president of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which was defeated in Maldives’ 2023 presidential election by the Progressive Party of Maldives-People’s National Congress coalition led by President Mohamed Muizzu.

Shahid’s comments come amid claims by the Muizzu government that the Maldivian Democratic Party compromised Maldives’ sovereignty by allowing Indian soldiers to be stationed there. The removal of Indian troops was a key election promise of Muizzu’s.

100 days in, it's clear: President Muizzu's claims of 'thousands of Indian military personnel' were just another in a string of lies. The current administration's inability to provide specific numbers speaks volumes. There are no armed foreign soldiers stationed in the country.… pic.twitter.com/7q9baIJ6X6— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) February 25, 2024

Muizzu is widely seen as sympathetic to China’s interests in his country, in contrast to his predecessor Ibrahim...

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