In a notable foreign policy move, the President-elect of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has reaffirmed his commitment to requesting the removal of Indian troops from Maldivian territory as one of his top priorities upon taking office. The recent election saw Muizzu, a candidate of the opposition coalition composed of the Progressive Party of Maldives and PNC, secure a decisive victory with 54% of the votes in the second and final round of the presidential elections held last month.
The issue of the presence of Indian troops in the Maldives has been a subject of political debate and contention, with the opposition’s campaign platform accusing the previous administration, led by Mohamed Solih, of working too closely with New Delhi.
Shortly after the election results were declared, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his best wishes to President-elect Muizzu through a letter delivered by the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, Munu Mahawar.
The meeting between Muizzu and the Indian High Commissioner took place on October 4, but the official Maldivian readout of the meeting did not explicitly mention the controversy surrounding the Indian troops. Instead, it indicated Muizzu’s intention to “restore relations with India on the basis of respect for sovereignty.”
President-elect Muizzu stated that he had directly addressed the matter with Indian officials. He emphasized the seriousness of this issue, with plans to request the removal of Indian troops from Maldivian soil on “day one” of his presidency. He further indicated that if feasible, the withdrawal could occur within the first week of his term.
Muizzu expressed deep concerns about the presence of foreign troops in the Maldives, underscoring that the nation had been historically peaceful and had never hosted foreign troops before. He stressed that the presence of such forces did not contribute to the country’s security and jeopardized its sovereignty.
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The Solih administration had maintained that the Indian military presence was limited to security personnel esponsible for operating donated helicopters for medical evacuation purposes and denied any military operations by Indian troops.
This issue was initially raised by Abdulla Yameen, leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), during the last months of his presidency. India rejected Yameen’s demand for troop withdrawal, and Yameen was subsequently voted out of office in the 2019 elections.
Muizzu referred to the conflicting reports regarding the number of Indian troops stationed in the Maldives, with estimates ranging from hundreds to thousands. He pointed out that media inquiries about troop numbers had been met with censorship.
The President-elect expressed hope that, upon assuming office, the number of Indian troops in the Maldives would be significantly reduced, even suggesting that a presence of “10 or 20” would still be problematic. He emphasized his commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to remove them from Maldivian soil as soon as possible.
When asked about the broader military cooperation between the Maldives and India, Muizzu suggested that it would continue, highlighting that military cooperation had historically existed with various countries. He also stated that he had no intention of increasing military cooperation with China to balance the relationship with India.
Additionally, Muizzu touched upon the issue of external debt, with half of the Maldives’ debt reportedly attributed to loans from India. He revealed that he had raised this matter with the Indian envoy, who had expressed positivity about potential refinancing or even debt waivers.
In response to questions about whether India would be incentivized to withdraw troops while the Maldives sought debt relief, Muizzu cited his conversation with the Indian High Commissioner, who had indicated India’s willingness to address the issue. He believed that India was unlikely to reduce its development assistance or investments in the Maldives and suggested the possibility of further lines of credit to invest in the tourism sector.
Muizzu concluded by highlighting the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with India and emphasized that his concerns were centered on issues of sovereignty. He also expressed the Maldives’ desire for close ties with China and other nations while emphasizing that Beijing had not interfered in the country’s internal affairs or sovereignty.
The President-elect’s firm stance on Indian troop withdrawal sets the stage for a delicate diplomatic challenge as the new administration takes office, balancing the preservation of Maldivian sovereignty with the need to maintain crucial regional relationships and address broader development and security concerns.
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