Following his election victory in September, Malé has issued a number of diplomatic challenges to New Delhi, the most recent of which was made on Sunday by top official Mohamed Muizzu, the president of the Maldives, asking India to remove its soldiers from the island nation by March 15.
According to Malé-based media, Abdullah Nazim Ibrahim, President Muizzu’s Principal Secretary for Public Policy, announced during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Malé that Indian military personnel would no longer be allowed to live in the Maldives and that they have been asked to depart by March 15, 2024.
The declaration from the top official coincided with the inaugural meeting of the India-Maldives High Level Core Group, which was established when the prime minister of India and the president of the Maldives met during the UN climate summit in Dubai.
It comes amid increased pressure in ties between the neighbours, spurred most recently by the words of three junior ministers in the Muizzu administration, who attacked Indians and Mr. Modi over his Lakshadweep visit.
Additionally, Mr. Muizzu’s five-day state visit to China, during which he pledged to “elevate” strategic ties with Beijing, before the declaration. Despite the Maldives’ modest size, he assured local journalists upon his return on Saturday that they “will not be bullied” by anyone.
Nevertheless, there was no mention of a request for the departure of Indian soldiers in a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) following the Core Group meeting on Sunday night. On the contrary, it stated that the parties were in talks on “identifying [a] mutually feasible resolution to facilitate the continuous functioning of Indian aviation platforms that offer relief and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives.”
A striking disparity in their messaging was evident in the news release from the Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stated: “Both sides expressed willingness to intensify cooperation and agreed to fast-track the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.” In both statements, a review of bilateral cooperation was mentioned.
Maldives issues ultimatum to India amidst diplomatic row
India reportedly has about 88 soldiers stationed in the Maldives, according to the Maldives government. According to New Delhi, the majority of them are technical personnel who work mostly on aircraft that India has donated.
The chief electoral pledge of the Maldivian president from the previous year has been to continuously demand the withdrawal of Indian soldiers. He made reference to the request in his first speech shortly after assuming office in November 2023. Mr. Muizzu said that India had “agreed” to remove its troops, but New Delhi had not yet released a statement to that effect, days after meeting with Mr. Modi in Dubai in December. In the interim, the High-Level Core Group was established by top officials from both sides to handle these and other important bilateral matters.