Now Reading: Maldives president-elect Muizzu vows to remove Indian troops
-
01
Maldives president-elect Muizzu vows to remove Indian troops
Mohamed Muizzu, the China-friendly winner of the Maldives presidential election, has said removing Indian military personnel from the island nation will be his first priority after taking office. Muizzu won the run-off…
Mohamed Muizzu, the China-friendly winner of the Maldives presidential election, has said removing Indian military personnel from the island nation will be his first priority after taking office. Muizzu won the run-off with over 54% of the vote, defeating incumbent Ibrahim Solih on a campaign to limit Indian influence.
The Maldives armed forces told a parliamentary committee in 2021 that 75 Indian soldiers are stationed there, mainly to maintain aircraft gifted by New Delhi. Muizzu said foreign troops cannot stay against the will of the people. India's foreign ministry said it looked forward to working with the new government on all issues, and its envoy conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulations.
Analysts said New Delhi is quietly concerned Muizzu will steer the Maldives closer to China, affecting India's strategic surveillance and monitoring of Indian Ocean maritime traffic, with implications for the US Indo-Pacific strategy.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Muizzu's demand to remove Indian troops revives a long-standing flashpoint in India-Maldives ties. Under the 1988 'Operation Cactus' precedent, India has intervened militarily in the Maldives to protect its government, and New Delhi views the archipelago as within its security perimeter. The immediate question is whether Muizzu will formally terminate the bilateral agreements under which Indian personnel operate. Any such move would test India's ability to retain influence in a neighbourhood where China has already built ports and infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative. The Maldives' next budget, expected in early 2024, will signal whether Male prioritises Chinese loans over Indian aid.
Source: scmp.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
