India’s Secret Project: Military Base in Mauritius

The Agalega Islands is a small Mauritius archipelago, where 359 people live from the coconut trade and fishing. Now, however, the islands are being expanded to become an Indian military base, through which the country wants to strengthen its hold on the Indian Ocean, the most important water body in the world. This is evident from years of research by journalists from Al Jazeera.

1,100 kilometers and two days sailing from the main island of Mauritius, 359 residents of the two islands of Agalieg live in peace. Every year a ship, the Mauritius Trochetia, comes to supply them four times. The ship is moored a short distance from the coast, after which small ships transport the goods to shore. The 800-meter runway is used almost exclusively for Dornier’s plane, which is used only by the government of Mauritius for medical evacuations.

sudden attention

In 2019, the lives of the Creole residents changed dramatically. Large cargo ships dock off the coast of the North Island and remain there for several months. Semi-permanent huts and all kinds of new dwellings appear on the grounds. This is soon followed by a throng of guest Indian workers, who are building new docks and a new airstrip on the island. This would be over 3km long, compared to the runways at Brussels Zaventem Airport and big enough for the world’s largest cargo plane.

Expansion cost in full: $250 million, paid by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to AFCONS entrepreneur. Strange building and costly for investments in 359 residents. The real reason for this is unknown, but it is clear that it has something to do with military interventions.

See also  Gasunie records a much higher turnover thanks to the new station in Eemshaven. Profits increased by 17 percent
This “village” consists entirely of newly built houses for guest workers and building materials.
Center left: the existing sidewalk. At the bottom left, work is underway on a new L-shaped pier. (Photo: satellites.pro)

The reason behind the military base (although both the Indian government and Mauritius deny that it is about military investments) is not far from being pursued: 60% of all global oil transport passes through the Indian Ocean. In addition, the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal connect the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea respectively.

Contest

Indian investment in Indian Ocean countries is how the Indian government wants to consolidate its influence in the region. “It has snowed geopolitically in the region,” said Aditya Dev, a research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London. “Free passage through this region is important for the energy supply of many countries, as well as the economic prospects. In addition to India, France, the United States and the United Kingdom are important players in the region. France, through its possession of the Reunion Islands, the United States and the United Kingdom jointly operate the base. Military on the island of Diego Garcia.

The emergence of Japan, Australia and China in the region, among other countries, may be the decisive factor that pushed India to invest in the region now. According to its geopolitical strategy, China has already invested in infrastructure in the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Tanzania, and opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017. (ddw)

Megan Vasquez

"Creator. Coffee buff. Internet lover. Organizer. Pop culture geek. Tv fan. Proud foodaholic."

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *