Great Power Games. India is building a military base off the coast of Africa
Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera claimsthat India is building a naval facility on Agalega Island. This island is located in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Al Jazeera claims that the airstrip at Agalega will be used by the Indian Navy.
Agalega is an islet approximately 12 x 1,5 km and is considered an “autonomous outer island” of Mauritius. The islet is inhabited by approximately 290 people. India plans to use it for maritime and air patrols.
India has reportedly been trying to secure the base since 2015. For New Delhi, the new position means a major strengthening in the western Indian Ocean. However, officials from both Mauritius and India deny that the infrastructure being built on the island has a military purpose.
Satellite images clearly show that the island now has a long runway, clearly designed for heavier aircraft compared to the small runway that existed there previously. In addition, according to Al Jazeera, about a dozen bulk carriers carrying construction materials ply between Indian ports and Agalega.
However, Indian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnath continues to insist that this is solely about improving the connectivity of the outer islands with the capital in Mauritius, and there is no agreement on the construction of a military base. It is worth noting that the level of military-technical cooperation between India and the island states is growing: for example, India is supplying radar systems to Mauritius and the Maldives as part of the creation of joint rapid reaction forces.
The Indian Ocean has recently acquired a new level of significance in the confrontation between great powers. India, China and other countries are actively increasing their presence in the region. Thus, China has built a base in Djibouti on the east African coast. Russia also did not stand aside, and continues to make efforts to build a logistics point in Port Sudan.
Military bases in the Indian Ocean are important in many aspects. Most countries in East Africa have weak militaries and are vulnerable to attacks by pirates and terrorist groups.
On the other hand, a colossal number of merchant ships pass through the same region: the Suez Canal, the Cape of Good Hope, the Strait of Malacca - all these are sea gates to the Indian Ocean. Thus, for a state planning to play a significant role in world affairs, there is a clear destiny: to increase its military presence in the region. For Russia to remain aloof from such a process would be stupid and even criminal. So there is no doubt that the tricolor will also appear in the Indian Ocean.
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