Tropical beaches with clear waters have made Mauritius a popular destination for high-end tourists. In 30 years, tourism has transformed this country, which once depended on agriculture into a glamorous Indian Ocean resort island.
In spite of that, on a barely accessible outer island, away from the bustling tourists, a secret military base is being built. The Mauritius government says that all construction work is simply to improve the lives of its residents. However, the islanders don’t believe in their government and fear for their future.
Where on Earth is Agalega, Mauritius?
Mauritius, located in the southwest Indian Ocean, comprises four island groups: Mauritius, Rodrigues, Saint Brandon, and the Agaléga islands. While all four island groups feature crystal-clear waters and golden sands, the two Agaléga islands have not undergone tourism development like the others. Around 300 residents live on the two islands of Agaléga and their main source of income is fishing and coconut farming.
Mysterious Activity
In 2019, satellite images revealed a surge of activity taking place on the northern island. Port facilities were expanding with jetties extending into the sea and more jetties were under construction extending far away from the beach to much deeper and darker waters, conducive to hosting larger ships. Videos captured by the residents also show the growth in building work. There appears to be new housing, but the matter of who’s moving in remains a mystery.
In April 2019 a new runway was under construction to accommodate larger passenger aircraft as well as military transport and control aircraft. In March 2021, truck diggers and excavators continued clearing land. A defrosted area near the northern tip was filled with offices, shipping containers, and large quantities of building material. It has also become home to hundreds of construction workers. Locals don’t believe the Mauritian government’s claims that the construction is for them.
In search of the mastermind
A search was on to find out who was constructing these military facilities, by identifying where the construction materials were coming from. In 2020, researchers discovered that a ship registered as ‘Glocem’ spent significant time near Agaléga. They compared satellite images of the ship to marine traffic photos and revealed that an Indian company based in Mumbai owned the ship.
The ‘Glocem’s’ past port calls and journeys recorded in 2020 show that since February the ‘Glocem’ has spent over a week at Visakhapatnam, India’s third largest state-owned port. There also happens to be an Indian Naval Base there, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command. The ‘Glocem’ seems to have spent over six months near Agaléga, which is extremely suspicious. However, the ‘Glocem’ is not the only vessel that makes the journey to Agaléga in 2020. Seven other ships were also tracked from Indian ports as part of the construction project.
Many other accounts have provided further evidence linking the construction to India. However, both India and Mauritius want to keep the true purpose of the construction a secret!
