India setting up navy base in Mauritius: Al-Jazeera

August 03, 2021 19:43

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'About 300 people on the Mauritian island of Agalga fear for their future as the island is likely to become home to an Indian naval facility,' reports an investigation by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit (I-Unit), which 'reveals how over the last two years India has been building a 3km airstrip and two large jetties designed for military purposes'.

The publication says, 'Military analysts confirmed Al Jazeera's findings, saying the island will likely be used by the Indian navy for maritime intelligence and reconnaissance missions,' adding that 'rumours and media reports about the military base first surfaced in 2018 but both Mauritius and India have denied that the construction project is for military purposes and say the infrastructure is only for the benefit of the islanders.'

While the Mauritian government 'restated its position that "there is no agreement between Mauritius and India to set up a military base in Agalga,",' and that it 'has no intention of displacing people living on the island,' India's ministry of defence and ministry of external affairs did not respond to A-Jazeera's requests for comment, the publication writes, here.

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