Sunday June 8, 2025
Garowe (HOL) – Authorities in Somalia’s Puntland regional state have released 26 Yemeni fishermen who had been detained for illegally fishing in Puntland’s territorial waters, following a formal pardon issued by the Puntland government.
The pardon, announced Wednesday evening by Yemen’s Foreign Ministry Office in Hadhramaut, included the cancellation of all financial penalties, and the return of confiscated equipment and personal belongings to the crew of the vessel Maymoon-1.
According to an official document signed by Mahmoud Mohamed Ali, Puntland’s Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, the decision followed a formal request by the Yemeni Embassy in Mogadishu, supported by letters from the Yemeni government. The document was addressed to judicial and administrative authorities in Puntland, including the President of the Court of Appeals in Bargal, the Judge of Ras Asir, and regional governors.
“The pardon was issued within the framework of the historical and brotherly relations between the Somali and Yemeni peoples,” the letter stated.
Ambassador Salem Balfakeeh, Director General of the Foreign Ministry Office in Hadhramaut, emphasized that the release came after intensive coordination between Yemeni government bodies, including the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Foreign Affairs, and the General Authority for Fisheries in the Arabian Sea.
He added that the Yemeni government would continue monitoring the return process until the fishermen safely arrive back home. The ambassador also called for the activation of joint fishing agreements to prevent similar incidents in the future and to safeguard the livelihoods of fishermen from both countries.