Missing Somali fishermen found in Maldives

MOGADISHU, Somalia - After a long search, three missing Somali fishermen who went missing on the Indian Ocean coast, have since been traced to the Maldives, several miles from the Horn of Africa nation, which has plenty of maritime resources.

Police in Maldives said the three were traced after going missing in April 2024 in deep seas, causing anxiety from their families in Somalia. Somalia had been in touch with the international community which mounted a frantic search.

According to Maldives police, the three fishermen were located on Saturday by the country’s coastguard. They went missing around Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, where they had gone to fish in order to take care of their families.

Maldives police said the three were in good health. The Maldives authorities added that they were in contact with their counterparts in Somalia to organize the repatriation of the fishermen.

Somalia’s 3,333 coastline is in plenty of maritime resources but has often struggled with unregulated fishing. The government has introduced tough measures to safeguard the country from illegal fishermen who are determined to deplete its treasured resources.

In the seas, Somalia's coastguard has also indicated that most of the pirates have been put at bay as the country struggles to secure its waters. The government of Somalia maintains that the coastline remains relatively safeguarded unlike in the past.

Somalia is also battling against Al-Shabaab militants, who are fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government of Somalia. The militants have lost central regions and southern areas where they used to be dominant according to security sources.

GAROWE ONLINE