Muizzu sets March 15 Deadline for India to Withdraw Troops

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.

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