UAE; latest nation to caution citizens over continued political unrest in Maldives
A twitter account handled by UAE's foreign ministry issued the warning
An aerial view of a resort in the Maldives
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the recent to join the number of nations calling on its citizens ‘to take caution’ when traveling to Maldives, amid the continued political unrest in the country.
In a twitter handle run by the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it, in a tweet posted in Arabic, advised those wishing to travel to Maldives ‘to take caution due to the current political conditions and turmoil’.
It further advised UAE citizens to contact the Ministry, in case of emergencies.
The political turmoil in the Maldives worsened after incumbent President Abdulla Yameen refused to implement a Supreme Court ruling, instead opting to declare a state of emergency in the country.
While the state of emergency was declared on February 5, a number of high profile figures were arrested the same night, including former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed.
The initial Supreme Court ruling, issued on February 1, ordered the immediate release of nine high profile detainees, including former President Mohamed Nasheed, and Vice President Ahmed Adeeb. Following the arrest of Chief Justice Saeed and Justice Hameed, the remaining three justices at the Supreme Court have annulled their previous order.
In addition to the UAE, India, Singapore, China, United States of America, Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom have since updated their travel advisories to the Maldives.
