Defense minister: MNDF did not cede land in exchange for Kanduohgiri

The Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) did not cede any land under its jurisdiction to the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) in exchange for the island of Kanduohgiri in Kaafu atoll, says defense minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon.

Kanduohgiri was previously used by the MIFCO to run a skipjack tuna factory. But the island was handed over to the MNDF on August 4.

In a post on X on Saturday, Ghassan’s predecessor, Mariya Ahmed Didi questioned whether MNDF got Kanduohgiri in exchange for a 120,000 square feet land plot allocated from Hulhumale’ during former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration for MNDF to build a cantonment.

Ghassan responded that the MNDF did not cede any land.

“This is an island added without MNDF ceding any land,” he said.

MNDF ge evves bimeh uni nuve, ithuru kurevunu rasheh. Kuriyah dhivehi Qaum. Kuriyah dhivehi Sifain. ????????

— Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon (@mgmaumoon) August 24, 2024

The plot in question was allocated during Solih’s administration from Hulhumale’ Phase II. Back then, Mariya said that the government would build a Bandeyri Koshi-style cantonment there if it won re-election. However, Solih went on to lose re-election in 2023.

The handover of Kanduohgiri to the MNDF was announced by Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam during a press briefing on Wednesday last week.

Shiyam said the factory there would be relocated to Hulhumale’. On Friday, MIFCO said the factory would be temporarily set up in Lh. Felivaru until land is allocated from Hulhumale’.