The Scattered Islands and France's 'triangle of power' in the Indian Ocean

The Scattered Islands and France's 'triangle of power' in the Indian Ocean

Four small coral islands, an atoll and a reef in the Indian Ocean are at the centre of geopolitical tensions between France and Madagascar.Although they cover just 16 square miles of land and have no permanent residents, the "Scattered Islands" represent "part of the unfinished business of decolonisation", said RFI. 'Arbitrarily separated' The islands are "scattered" across the Mozambique Channel and western Indian Ocean, said France 24. They in…

Introduction Beyond the smiles displayed at the summits of the Indian Ocean Commission, a more brutal reality emerges in the warm waters of the Mozambique Canal. The case of the Éparses Islands, these few marine confetti claimed by Madagascar, reveals the deep lines of fracture of a post-colonial geopolitics where France strives to maintain a decisive presence. It is not simply a matter of biodiversity, environmental cooperation or respect for h…