Maldives Forgoes NSAs Conclave, the recent gathering of National Security Advisers (NSAs) at the Colombo Security Conclave held in Port Louis, Mauritius, shed light on the shifts in political dynamics following Dr.Mohamed Muizzu’s presidency in the Maldives. Notably, the Maldivian NSA was conspicuously absent, raising eyebrows despite the Maldives being a founding member of the conclave alongside India and Sri Lanka. Instead, the Maldives Vice President, Hussain Mohamed Latheef, opted to attend the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation in Kunming, Yunnan province, on the same day, advocating for enhanced collaboration with China.
Latheef emphasized the commitment to bolstering the enduring ties between China and the Maldives, citing shared objectives in social development, peace, and prosperity rooted in mutual respect.
Latheef’s statements added weight to speculations about the new Maldivian government’s inclination toward China. However, reports suggest that the government has initiated “working groups” to address various issues concerning India, including the presence of around 70 military personnel. Presently, both Delhi and Muizzu’s administration seem to be maintaining a diplomatic stance.
His comments in Kunming, referring to cooperation in the Indian Ocean involving all regional countries, might have been alluding to Turkey, influenced by its close ally Pakistan. Turkey has been actively seeking to bolster its diplomatic influence in South Asia, while Pakistan is aggrieved by India’s resistance to its membership in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). Latheef’s remarks likely aimed to underscore this point.
Addressing the potential drift in security cooperation, Vijay D Chafekar, Additional Director General (Retd) Indian Coast Guard, highlighted previous instances where the Maldives veered away from regional maritime security cooperation following changes in government. He stressed the geographic reality and the significance of mutual assistance agreements among India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives for maritime security, despite recent indications suggesting a distancing from India due to influences from China and Islamist sources.
Returning to the NSA meeting (Maldives Forgoes NSAs Conclave), Ajit Doval emphasized its critical role in ensuring regional safety, leading to an agreement on a roadmap of activities for 2024. The focus was on tackling a range of challenges in the Indian Ocean Region, including piracy, terrorism, radicalization, trafficking, cyber security, protection of critical infrastructure, and humanitarian aid and disaster relief, echoed by Mauritius’s Deputy Prime Minister Steven Obegadoo.
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Sri Lanka’s NSA, Sagala Ratnayaka, also highlighted the escalating threats faced by the region, underscoring the importance of the Conclave as a platform to address these challenges.
Incidentally, Mauritius’s NSA, Vivek Johri, a former Indian Police Service officer with extensive intelligence experience, underscores the deep engagement of at least 20 Indian officers heading Mauritius’s coast guard, helicopter squadron, and hydrography services.
“Mauritius has engrained in its Coat of Arms the motto that it is the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, and the symbolism behind hosting the CSC cannot be understated. Compared to other multilateral fora such as IORA and IOC, the CSC focuses on Defense issues. As such, it is a vital platform for high-level dialogue to ensure Maritime Security and Regional Stability by enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness, preventing IUU Fishing, fighting Drug Trafficking, Piracy, and other illicit activities in the highly geostrategic space of the Indian Ocean,” remarked Aaron Kwang Poon, a Geopolitical Strategist based in Mauritius.
