Maldives asks India to withdraw troops by March
The President of the Maldives has formally requested India to withdraw its nearly 100 troops from the archipelago by March 15, as part of a election promise.
The call for withdrawal comes just after the Maldivian president returned from China, where he signed various agreements.
Despite New Delhi traditionally considering the Indian Ocean archipelago to be within its sphere of influence, the Maldives has increasingly aligned itself with China, its primary external creditor.
The deadline for the troop withdrawal was established during discussions between Maldivian and Indian officials on Sunday, as confirmed by Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the Public Policy Secretary to President Mohamed Muizzu. The proposal is currently being considered, and a decision is pending.
India currently maintains a deployment of approximately 89 personnel, including medical staff, to operate three aircraft for patrolling the vast maritime territory of the Maldives. On Sunday, India's foreign ministry stated that diplomats are actively exploring a "mutually workable solution" to facilitate the continuation of Indian air operations, which primarily involve humanitarian and medical evacuation services. Further discussions are planned, although a specific date has not been disclosed.
President Muizzu, who assumed office in September, had pledged to remove Indian forces during his election campaign. On Saturday, upon his return to the capital Male, he emphasized that despite the Maldives being a small nation, it will not tolerate bullying. Muizzu affirmed the country's status as an independent nation, rejecting the notion of being in the backyard of another country.
.png "Advertisement")
