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Madagascar Foreign Military Assistance
Historically, Mauritius has received little foreign
military
assistance. In January 1990, the former Soviet Union
presented
Mauritian authorities with two patrol boats, each of which
is
capable of carrying a twenty-member crew. An eight-member
Soviet
training team provided the MCG a ninety-day orientation
training
program on the use of these vessels. A five-member Soviet
mechanic and engineer team remained in Mauritius for one
year to
service the patrol boasts.
Since independence, France, Britain, and India have
provided
an array of equipment and training to various Mauritian
police
units. Following two assassination attempts against
Jugnauth in
1988 and 1989, for example, India provided a security
adviser,
J.N. Taimini, to help Mauritius upgrade its security
services.
France also has provided security assistance to bolster
Jugnauth's personal bodyguard. In March 1990, the British
donated
a modern explosive detector to the SMF. Often, these
nations have
competed with one another. In June 1991, France withdrew
two
military cooperation agents after Mauritius granted India
a
contract for communications and broadcasting equipment for
the
SMF.
Since the latter 1980s, the United States has become
more
active in Mauritius. In FY 1988 Washington initiated an
IMET
program to increase the SMF's defensive capabilities.
Since then,
the IMET program has sought to enhance the country's
ability to
protect its EEZ and combat narcotics trafficking by
offering
training in small boat maintenance and coastal patrol.
Data as of August 1994
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