Maldives New President Asks India to Withdraw Its Military

MALE (Reuters) – Maldives new President Mohamed Muizzu, who campaigned on altering the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago’s “India first” coverage, has requested India withdraw its army from the nation.

Muizzu gained the presidential election in September, ousting Ibrahim Solih in a runoff after promising to take away a small Indian army presence of some 75 personnel.

India and China have been vying for affect within the area, with the coalition backing Muizzu thought-about to be leaning extra in the direction of China.

“The Maldivian individuals had given him (Muizzu) a powerful mandate to make the request to India and expressed the hope that India will honour the democratic will of the individuals of the Maldives,” the president’s workplace stated in a press release on Saturday.

India’s defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

At his inauguration on Friday, Muizzu stated, “I’ll be certain that this nation has no overseas army presence on its soil.”

Muizzu made the request to Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister for earth sciences, who was representing India on the president’s inauguration, it stated.

“It was agreed that the 2 governments would focus on workable options for continued cooperation,” a senior Indian authorities official stated on situation of anonymity, with out clarifying whether or not India would return its army.

(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik in New Delhi and Mohamed Junayd in Male; Writing by Munsif Vengattil; Editing by William Mallard)

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