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Because it was perceived as a space for the projection of power by international actors, the Indian Ocean has long been neglected but is today the center of attention. This situation is explained by the shift of the geostrategic center of gravity of the planet towards Asia, as well as the emergence of a dual strategic rivalry between India and China on one side and between China and the United States on the other. However, as a consequence of the fragility or failure of some of the Indian Ocean coastal states, this strategic rivalry is combined with nontraditional threats. The definition and implementation of a regional security architecture is thus made more complex by the fact that the responses to the various levels of regional threats are partly contradictory. If the multiplication of sub-regional organizations could constitute a pragmatic answer to this situation, it is unclear whether they slow the fragmentation of some of their member states or prevent the arms race that the ongoing strategic rivalry will inevitably entail.