Context:

After joining the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as ‘Observer’, India is looking to post Navy Liaison Officers at the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar and also at the European maritime surveillance initiative in the Strait of Hormuz for improved Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).

About:

• The Indian Ocean Commission is a regional forum in the southwest Indian Ocean.
• The IOC is particularly unique and is the only African regional organization composed entirely of islands: Comoros, France/Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
• China and the European Union (EU) have been Observers in the IOC since 2016 and 2017, respectively.
• India became an Observer in March 2020 along with Japan and the United Nations.

Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC)

• The RMFIC functions under the aegis of the IOC.
• It is based in Madagascar. It is designed to deepen maritime domain awareness by monitoring maritime activities and promoting information sharing and exchange.

European maritime surveillance initiative in the Strait of Hormuz

• The EMASOH headquarters is composed of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and French officers and is based at the French naval base in Abu Dhabi.
• The aim is “to monitor maritime activity and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.”
• EMASOH deploys air and naval units in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent areas for peaceful surveillance of naval activity.