The President of the Maldives has formally told the UK that it does not recognise the deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. President Mohamed Muizzu's office informed the BBC that the Maldives expressed its opposition to the 'deeply concerning' deal through two written objections and a phone call with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
The Maldives, an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, is asserting its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and is poised to threaten international legal action to press its claim. UK Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty stated that the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands is a matter for Britain and Mauritius, not the Maldives. A government source has noted that international courts have already addressed the sovereignty issue and found in favour of Mauritius.
The Chagos Islands, officially known as British Indian Ocean Territory, have been under UK control since the early 19th century. Last year, the UK government agreed to transfer control of the territory to Mauritius, reportedly paying an average of £101 million a year to lease a joint UK-US military base on the largest island.
Mauritius has long claimed the islands, pursuing international legal channels to support its claim, while Labour ministers argue that failing to secure a deal with Mauritius would compromise the military base's future due to impending international legal judgments.
However, the deal remains unofficial and is currently on hold, with US President Donald Trump recently advising Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer against relinquishing the territory.
The Maldives contends that it has historical claims to the Chagos Islands dating back centuries and detailed its position in communications with the British government in November 2024 and January 2026.
The Maldives made it clear that it does not recognise the transfer of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, citing its profound historical and administrative ties to the islands. In a phone call with Lammy, Muizzu emphasized that any transfer of the archipelago must consider Maldivian interests.
A ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in 2023 reinforced Mauritius's claims, following an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019 that declared Britain's separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius unlawful.
Should the Maldives file a legal case, it would further complicate the UK's agreement with Mauritius, which has already faced skepticism following Trump's remarks about retaining territory for the UK.
The Maldives, an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean, is asserting its sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and is poised to threaten international legal action to press its claim. UK Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty stated that the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands is a matter for Britain and Mauritius, not the Maldives. A government source has noted that international courts have already addressed the sovereignty issue and found in favour of Mauritius.
The Chagos Islands, officially known as British Indian Ocean Territory, have been under UK control since the early 19th century. Last year, the UK government agreed to transfer control of the territory to Mauritius, reportedly paying an average of £101 million a year to lease a joint UK-US military base on the largest island.
Mauritius has long claimed the islands, pursuing international legal channels to support its claim, while Labour ministers argue that failing to secure a deal with Mauritius would compromise the military base's future due to impending international legal judgments.
However, the deal remains unofficial and is currently on hold, with US President Donald Trump recently advising Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer against relinquishing the territory.
The Maldives contends that it has historical claims to the Chagos Islands dating back centuries and detailed its position in communications with the British government in November 2024 and January 2026.
The Maldives made it clear that it does not recognise the transfer of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, citing its profound historical and administrative ties to the islands. In a phone call with Lammy, Muizzu emphasized that any transfer of the archipelago must consider Maldivian interests.
A ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in 2023 reinforced Mauritius's claims, following an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019 that declared Britain's separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius unlawful.
Should the Maldives file a legal case, it would further complicate the UK's agreement with Mauritius, which has already faced skepticism following Trump's remarks about retaining territory for the UK.
