The newly elected President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has made a bold commitment to terminate foreign military presence in his strategically situated atoll nation. In his first public rally following a runoff election victory, Muizzu, 45, stopped short of explicitly naming India, the sole foreign power with a military deployment in the Maldives.
“We will be sending back military forces based in the Maldives according to law, and for sure we will do that accordingly,” declared Muizzu during the rally held in the capital city of Male on Monday night. He added, “The people who brought… military forces don’t want to send them back, but the people of the Maldives decided.”
This move comes after outgoing President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had reoriented the nation’s relations toward India, following the previous leader Abdulla Yameen’s alignment with Beijing, involving substantial borrowing from China for infrastructure projects.
Muizzu is regarded as a proxy of Yameen, who was disqualified from last month’s election due to a corruption conviction. Shortly after his victory, Muizzu secured Yameen’s release from the high-security Maafushi prison, where he was serving an 11-year sentence, transferring him to house arrest in Male.
Dispelling media characterizations of him as a pro-China leader, Muizzu asserted that his focus would be on the Maldives’ interests. “My top priority will be the Maldives and its situation,” he declared. “We will be choosing to be pro-Maldives. Any country who respects and obeys our pro-Maldives policy is considered a close friend of the Maldives.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first leaders to extend congratulations to Muizzu, emphasizing India’s commitment to strengthen bilateral relations.
China, another key player in the region, also extended its congratulations, expressing respect for the choice of the Maldivian people and a willingness to deepen cooperation.
The Maldives, a collection of atolls spanning 800 kilometers across the equator, occupies a critical location along one of the world’s busiest east-west shipping lanes. Muizzu had previously conveyed to Chinese Communist Party officials his intent to strengthen ties with China upon returning to office.
Muizzu’s declaration to end foreign military presence in the Maldives has raised questions about the future of India’s military engagement in the region and could potentially reshape the geopolitical landscape of the Indian Ocean.
Sources By Agencies