SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Less than $3 per week View Profile The Explainer Talking Points The Week Recommends Newsletters From the Magazine The Week Junior Food & Drink Personal Finance All Categories Newsletter sign up under the radar The Scattered Islands and France's 'triangle of power' in the Indian Ocean Small, uninhabited but strategically important islands are a point of contention between France and its former colonies Newsletter sign up The Scattered Islands have never had any permanent inhabitants, with just some French military personnel staying there (Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images) Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK 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 include Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Tromelin and the Glorioso Islands. Aside from a handful of French soldiers posted to military installations, they are uninhabited. But their value is clear: each island gives France control over 200 nautical miles of surrounding waters and collectively more than half of the channel, a key route for global shipping. Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. The former French colonies of Madagascar, Mauritius and the Comoros have "long claimed" ownership of the various French-administered islands in the Indian Ocean. During the colonial era, the islands were treated as part of French Madagascar, but when the country achieved independence in 1960, France retained control of the islands. In 1979, the United Nations passed a non-binding resolution asking France to return the Scattered Islands to Madagascar, saying they had been "arbitrarily separated" just prior to independence. 'Complex legacy' Madagascar has "seized" on the UK's decision to return the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius to restate its claim to the Scattered Islands, said France 24. "In a further complication," said RFI, Moscow has thrown its weight behind the claim. In recent years, France has "taken steps" towards "acknowledging its colonial past", said France 24, and Emmanuel Macron has worked to "reshape the country's image" in Africa. But the government "shows little sign" of "relinquishing control" because the islands are crucial to its "triangle of power" in the region, along with Réunion and Mayotte. They anchor France’s maritime, ecological and military reach in the Indian Ocean. To "avoid any further disputes" that could "undermine its broader Indo-Pacific strategy", France should develop co-management agreements, which "seem to be" the "least controversial" and "most sustainable" way for France to "maintain influence in the region", said The Diplomat. Last week, Macron paid a two-day state visit to the island nation. It was the first by a French president in 20 years, and recognition of the "complex legacy" of French colonisation in Madagascar, a nation that still faces "significant poverty", said News Central. A bilateral commission is due to meet in Paris on 30 June to discuss the future of the islands. Andry Rajoelina, president of Madagascar, said the two nations are "determined to find a solution together". Explore More Emmanuel Macron Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Social Links Navigation Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books. 6 isolated homes for hermits Featuring a secluded ranch on 560 acres in New Mexico and a home inspired by a 400-year-old Italian farmhouse in Colorado Magazine solutions - May 9, 2025 Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 9, 2025 Magazine printables - May 9, 2025 Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 9, 2025 You might also like 'It is a test of Africa's will to lead, not follow' Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day 'This is not an unusual story' Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day 'The winners and losers of AI may not be where we expect' Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day 'People first. Then money. 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