Overview

• The Îles Éparses, a group of five uninhabited islands in the Indian Ocean, are at the center of a decades-long sovereignty dispute between France and Madagascar.
• During President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Madagascar on April 23, 2025, both nations announced the reconvening of the Franco-Malagasy commission for the first time since 2019.
• France proposes a co-management framework for the islands, while Madagascar continues to demand their full retrocession as part of its decolonization process.
• The islands' strategic location in the Mozambique Channel grants access to significant hydrocarbon reserves, fisheries, and vital maritime routes, making them economically and geopolitically valuable.
• Additional claims by Comoros and Mauritius, as well as France's military and biodiversity initiatives in the region, further complicate the dispute.