Agalega Island of Mauritius

Context:

• Recently, Mauritius has denied a report of Al Jazeera news agency that it has allowed India to build a military base on the remote island of Agalega.
• He clarified that though two projects are in the work (a three-kilometer airstrip and a jetty), they would not be used for military purposes.

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Key points About Agalega Island

• Location: It is a set of two islands, located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 kilometers north of Mauritius island.
• ‘Project Agalega’ by India: In 2015, India had signed an MOU with Mauritius to develop Agalega Island. Under this, more than $200 million projects are being funded by India.
  • It includes the construction of a jetty, rebuilding, and extension of the runway, and building an airport terminal on Agalega Island.
• Significance for India:
  • Enhancing maritime domain awareness: having a military presence on the Island will boost the maritime capabilities of the Indian navy.
  • Countering China: it will help in effectively countering the Chinese ‘string of pearl policy’ aimed at dominating the Indian ocean by placing military assets at key locations.
  • Safeguarding India maritime trade: 95% of India’s trade by volume and 68% of trade by value comes via the Indian Ocean.

Essential Defence Services Bill 2021

Additional Information

• Chagos islands: Al Jazeera report also raised fears of a repeat of the 1965 decision by Britain to separate the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and set up a joint military base with the United States on Diego Garcia.
  • It is presently a British overseas territory- a living legacy of Britain’s colonial past.
  • Diego Garcia is the largest Island among the Chagos Islands and the US Military base is located here.
  • In 1965, three years before the independence of Mauritius (19668), Britain detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius.
  • In 2019, Mauritius won the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case, which asked the United Kingdom to return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.
  • Though ICJ judgment is only advisory in nature, it significantly weakens Britain’s claim for continued presence on the Islands.

Prelims Specific Articles- 6 August 2021

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