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France and Madagascar to Resume Talks on Îles Éparses Dispute After Six-Year Hiatus

The bilateral commission will meet in Paris on June 30, 2025, as France proposes co-management and Madagascar seeks full sovereignty over the resource-rich islands.

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Vue de l'île française de la Grande Glorieuse, faisant partie de l'archipel des Éparses, à 250 km au nord-est de Mayotte, île française de l'océan Indien, le 23 octobre 2019.
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Overview

  • The Îles Éparses, five small islands in the Mozambique Channel, are claimed by Madagascar, Comoros, and Mauritius but remain under French administration since 1960.
  • The islands provide France with control over a vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich in hydrocarbons, fisheries, and strategic maritime routes.
  • France and Madagascar have announced the first meeting of their bilateral commission since 2019, scheduled for June 30, 2025, to discuss the islands' future.
  • France has proposed a co-management framework, while Malagasy sovereigntists demand the full retrocession of the islands as part of decolonization efforts.
  • The islands' biodiversity and strategic location bolster France's diplomatic and environmental influence in the Indo-Pacific, amidst growing global interest in the region.