About 80 Indian troops are set to leave the Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives, in what is seen by some as another move in the struggle for dominance in the region between China and India.
The first set of troops are getting ready to leave with the phased withdrawal to be completed by May. This is a deadline set by Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, who analysts say is pro-China.
Muizzu, who won the election in November last year, had made the removal of Indian troops a campaign promise.
However, it will not be the total end of an Indian presence in the country, as it was agreed that the troops would be replaced by civilian technical personnel.
The Indian troops had been stationed in the Maldives to maintain two helicopters and an aircraft that the Indian government had donated.
Relations between India and the Maldives have become strained recently, partly because of Muizzu’s anti-India rhetoric. This led to China’s looking to exploit this tension and strengthen its relationship with the Maldives.
This has seen Muizzu visit Beijing on a state visit, something he is yet to do in the case of New Delhi.
China has also been investing heavily in the Maldives in recent years, and the two countries recently signed a ‘military assistance’ agreement.
[Image: Masroor Ahmed on Unsplash]