HARGEISA— Somaliland President H.E Musa Bihi Abdi, welcomed at the presidential mansion the delegation consisting of the chief traditional elders from Hawiye clan that reside in the South of Somalia. The mission of Hawiye traditional elders chief delegation off to Hargeisa, Somaliland was to accept the hand over of hardcore pirates who were convicted of piracy acts in Seychelles and were transferred to Somaliland jails to serve their jail terms as Seychelles and Somaliland entered into an agreement during the time when Somalia was plagued by rampant piracy in its territorial waters. The president of Somaliland has pardoned the 19 hardcore pirates hailing from South Somalia. Mr. Mohamed Hasan Haad, the chief traditional elder who led the delegation has accepted the handover of the released pirates from Somaliland jail. They have thanked the president for the pardon of the 19 pirates. The traditional chiefs accompanied by the 19 released pirates will be leaving for Mogadishu on Friday. The pirates served 9 years behind bars in Somaliland for the acts of piracy that they were caught red handed. The president adviser on youth, Mr. Abdiwahid Abdikadir Abdirahman saw off the traditional elders and the 19 pirates and wished of their safe return to their homeland. Ministers, chiefs of armed forces, the attorney general from Somaliland were with the president during the meeting with Hawiye traditional elders last night.
