Muizzu sets March 15 Deadline for India to Withdraw Troops

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Context: Maldivian President Muhammed Muizzu asked India to withdraw its troops from Maldives by March, 15.

‘India First’ To ‘India Out’ Maldives’ foreign policy

Shift Towards China (2013-2018): Under President Abdulla Yameen’s leadership (2013-2018), the Maldives tilted towards China. During Yameen’s tenure, the Maldives joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), indicating a significant move away from its traditional alignment with India.
Change in Leadership and Policy (2018): A shift occurred when Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), replaced Yameen in 2018.
- President Solih adopted an “India First” foreign policy, seeking to strengthen ties with India in defence, security, and economics.
Growing Proximity with India and Opposition Concerns: The deepening of relations between New Delhi and Male, particularly in military exchanges, raised concerns in some quarters of the Maldives.
- Critics, mainly from the opposition, argued that this compromised the nation’s sovereignty and criticised the presence of Indian military personnel.
“India Out” Campaign: The opposition, led by former President Yameen, initiated an “India Out” campaign, focusing on national sovereignty and opposing Indian military presence. This campaign became central in the 2023 presidential race.
Muizzu’s Election and Policy Stance: Yameen unable to contest the 2023 elections, Mohamed Muizzu, became the joint opposition candidate and won the presidential election in 2023.
- Despite being associated with the pro-China Yameen, Muizzu positioned himself as “pro-Maldives”, focusing on national interests over external alliances. He pledged to remove Indian troops and sought a more balanced trade relationship, claiming it was currently skewed in India’s favour.

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Military Presence Of India in Maldives

India operates and maintains radars, helicopters, and aircraft in the Maldives, some of which are used for medical evacuations.
Currently, there are 77 Indian military personnel in the Maldives.
Known activities of the Indian military include operating two aircraft donated by India and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea.