NEW DELHI: In a significant development less than a week following the substitution of Indian military personnel with civilian staff for a helicopter service in the Maldives, President Mohamed Muizzu has intensified his critique against India. He declared that all Indian forces, including civilian staff, must exit the island nation by May 10.
During a speech to the local community on Eydhafushi Island on March 4, President Muizzu refuted claims by the opposition that India would maintain its military presence in the Maldives to project an image of normalcy between the two countries.
“This is ‘absolutely false’ and no country’s soldiers would be deployed in the country, neither wearing uniform nor in civilian clothing,’’ President Muizzu said, adding that no Indian soldier will be in their country beyond May 10.
President Muizzu urged Maldivians to discern the truth with their own eyes and not to succumb to hearsay.
It is noteworthy that the repatriation of Indian troops, mainly deployed for managing two Dornier aircraft and a helicopter for medical evacuations and humanitarian efforts, was a key promise in Muizzu’s electoral campaign, which he vowed to accomplish within his first 100 days in office.
The exact number of Indian military staff stationed in the Maldives is subject to debate, with estimates ranging from 33 to potentially over 85.
Furthermore, the third high-level meeting between India and the Maldives is anticipated to occur shortly in Male. On February 27, India dispatched a team of civilian technicians to replace the military personnel assigned to a helicopter in Addu City.
The inaugural high-level meeting between the two nations was conducted in Male on January 14, followed by a second meeting in New Delhi on February 2.