Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has given India a deadline to withdraw its military personnel from the island nation, stressing that Indian troops must leave by March 15.
The announcement comes after Muizzo’s recent state visit to China, marking an improvement in diplomatic relations with Beijing.
Diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives have escalated after Maldivian ministers’ derogatory comments against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to their dismissal. Responding to the criticism, President Muizzu said: “We may be small, but no one has the right to bully us.”
Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Public Policy Secretary in the President’s Office, stressed: “Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. That is the policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizza and this administration.” Reports indicate the presence of approximately 88 Indian soldiers in the Maldives.
The call to withdraw Indian troops is in line with President Muizza’s election promise and his “India Out” campaign. The two nations formed a high-level core group to negotiate the troop withdrawal, with the group’s inaugural meeting held at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Male.
During the meeting, bilateral cooperation, ongoing development projects and the search for a mutually functional solution to ensure the continued operation of Indian air platforms providing humanitarian services in the Maldives were discussed. The next meeting of the high-level core group is to be held in India.
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The diplomatic shift from the previous “India First” policy under Ibrahim Solih to the current “India Out” stance is not sudden. Abdullah Yameen, Solih’s predecessor, launched an anti-India campaign in 2013 that brought the Maldives closer to China. In contrast, Solih maintained friendly relations with India during his tenure from 2018 to 2023.
Seeking balance between India and China, President Muizzu has confirmed that he has no intention of replacing Indian military personnel with Chinese troops.
The evolving diplomatic scenario raises concerns about China’s economic interests and the potential impact of its debt trap policy on the island nation.
