India has agreed to the new Maldives government’s request to withdraw about 75 Indian military personnel stationed on the islands to work on humanitarian operations, Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu claimed on Sunday, two days after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai. The move, that was demanded by Mr. Muizzu during his “India Out” election campaign slogan will come as a disappointment for New Delhi, that has been urging the Maldives to look at the utility of Indian personnel in the Maldives in the “proper perspective”.
“The Indian government has assured the people of Maldives that it will respect their decision regarding the withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives,” the Maldives President’s office wrote in a tweet, quoting from Mr. Muizzu’s press conference earlier in the day after he returned from the UAE. Government sources on Sunday countered Mr. Muizzu’s claim, saying that the discussions were still “ongoing”, and that the “core group” announced after the Modi-Muizzu meeting would look into all aspects of whether the 75 Indian naval personnel currently working on Indian projects in the Maldives should stay or not.
The Ministry of External Affairs did not comment on the development. However, sources said that the issue of India’s platforms and personnel that work on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) programmes was “briefly discussed” when the leaders met in Dubai. Significantly, the issue had not been mentioned directly in the readouts issued by both governments at the end of talks between Mr. Modi and President Muizzu on Friday, their first meeting since Mr. Muizzu took power. The Maldives Presidency had alluded to the subject of Indian troops in Maldives being discussed as it said they discussed cooperation on matters of “concern and sensitivities for the people of Maldives”. Mr. Muizzu’s statement on Sunday indicates, however, that he is not willing to budge on his demand despite the meeting with Mr. Modi. The Indian personnel issue has been contentious since Mr. Muizzu won presidential elections in October, ousting former President Ibu Solih who was seen as more India-friendly, and reiterates that he would go through with his campaign promise of “ensuring the Maldives’ sovereignty.”
