The Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has given India a deadline of March 15 to withdraw its military personnel from the island nation, a senior official said on Sunday. The move comes amid a diplomatic row between the two countries over derogatory comments made by some Maldivian ministers against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the latest government figures, there are 88 Indian military personnel in the Maldives, who were deployed there in 2018 as part of a bilateral agreement to provide training and assistance to the Maldivian National Defence Force. However, Muizzu, who came to power in November 2023 with an anti-India campaign, has repeatedly demanded their removal, saying that the Maldivian people have given him a “strong mandate” to do so.
Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary at the President’s Office, confirmed that Muizzu has formally asked India to withdraw its troops by March 15, the SunOnline newspaper reported¹. He said that this is the policy of the president and his administration, and that a high-level core group has been set up to negotiate the withdrawal of troops. The group held its first meeting at the Foreign Ministry Headquarters in Male’ on Sunday morning, which was also attended by Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar.
The Indian government did not immediately confirm the media report or comment on it. India and the Maldives have traditionally enjoyed close ties, but relations have soured since Muizzu’s election, who is regarded as a pro-China leader. During his recent state visit to China, Muizzu sought to align the Maldives closer to Beijing, and signed several agreements on trade, investment, and infrastructure. He also indirectly attacked India, saying that the Maldives will not allow any foreign interference in its internal affairs.
The request for the withdrawal of Indian troops comes amid a controversy over the social media postings of three deputy ministers of the Muizzu government, who made insulting remarks about Modi and his policies. Muizzu suspended the three ministers after their posts sparked outrage in India and calls for a boycott by Indian tourists, who are the largest source of visitors to the Maldives. Tourism is a vital sector for the Maldivian economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Maldives is a strategically important country in the Indian Ocean, where India and China are competing for influence. India considers the Maldives as part of its sphere of interest, and has provided economic and military aid to the country in the past. China, on the other hand, has invested heavily in the Maldives as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, and has built ports, bridges, and other infrastructure projects there. The Maldives is also a member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
The deadline set by Muizzu for the withdrawal of Indian troops is likely to escalate the tensions between the two countries, and could have implications for the regional security and stability. It remains to be seen how India will respond to the demand, and whether the two sides can resolve their differences through dialogue and cooperation.