Mauritius declares emergency over oil spill from grounded ship

• The prime minister of Mauritius has declared a state of environmental emergency and appealed to France for urgent assistance.
• The French Island of Reunion is the closest to Mauritius. The Island of Reunion is a major military base of France in the Indian Ocean.
• The oil spill was caused by Japanese owned ship that was stranded off the coast days ago.

Why France for help?

• The French Island of Reunion is the closest to Mauritius. The Island of Reunion is a major military base of France in the Indian Ocean.
• India conducted joint patrols with the French Navy, CORPAT (Coordinated Patrols) for the first time from the Reunion Island in March 2020.

India-Mauritius

• Mauritius is a part of security grid of India including Coastal Surveillance Radar (CSR). The Head of Mauritian National Security Advisor and Mauritius Navy are Indian Officers.
• India has several Free Trade Agreements with Mauritius.
• It includes enhanced EEZ surveillance and anti-piracy operations to prevent intrusions by potential economic offenders including illegal poaching, fishing, human trafficking and drugs.
• Mauritius is one of the top sources of Foreign Direct Investment for India. India receives 15-16 billion USD of FDI from Mauritius.
• The bilateral relation with the island nation is important for India for its strategic location in the Indian Ocean Region.

India in the Indian Ocean

• To counter Chinese strategy of “String of Pearls” in the Indian Ocean, India is exerting itself in the same region through agreements with France, US and Australia to take advantage of their bases in Reunion and Cocos Islands (Australia).

Agaelga Island of Mauritius

• The Agalega Islands of Mauritius has been leased to the Indian military for development of strategic assets. The island is located to the north of Mauritius island.
• The cracks that appeared on the ship hull caused the oil spill and has put around 1 to 3 million residents in the island nation to danger.

International