Gov’t Releases Solih’s Letter to Mauritius
Photo: President’s Office
The administration of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has made public a letter sent by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.
ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ އެކްސްކްލޫސިވް އިކޮނޮމިކް ޒޯންގެ ދެކުނުން ފޯޅަވައްސާއި ފުށުއަރާކަމަށްބުނެ އިޓްލޮސްގައި މޮރިޝަސްގެ ފަރާތުން ހުށަހެޅި މައްސަލަ ރިވިއުކުރުމަށް ދިވެހި ސަރުކާރުން ކުރަމުންގެންދާ މަސައްކަތާއި ގުޅިގެން ސަރުކާރުން ނޫސް ބަޔާނެއް ނެރުއްވައިފި
https://t.co/DEkzOKujYt pic.twitter.com/xwKJqx1xmW— The President's Office (@presidencymv) December 19, 2023advertisement
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The letter, released by the President’s Office (PO) yesterday, acknowledges Mauritius’ sovereign authority over the Chagos archipelago following the country’s independence from British colonial rule.
The communication, dated August 22, 2022, preceded a United Nations General Assembly resolution vote on the ‘Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965.’
In the letter, Solih affirmed that Maldives would vote ‘yes’ on the resolution, expressing support for decolonisation and the right to self-determination. Despite subsequent controversy, Solih maintained that the letter exclusively acknowledged Mauritius’ authority over Chagos and did not impact Maldives’ legal position in the territorial dispute with Mauritius at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
The longstanding territorial dispute revolves around the overlapping exclusive economic zones between Maldives and Chagos Islands. The Chagos archipelago dispute has been a point of contention between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, with the International Court of Justice ruling in 2019 that Britain’s ownership was unlawful.
Mauritius took the case to ITLOS under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2019, pressing its claims against Maldives. Despite Maldives raising objections to the court’s jurisdiction, ITLOS upheld Mauritius as the rightful legal owner of the Chagos islands, leading to Solih’s letter supporting Mauritius’ claim.
The political landscape shifted when Solih’s main opponent, the PPM-PNC, criticised the change in stance, with the party now in power. In April 2022, ITLOS concluded the division of overlapping exclusive economic zones between Mauritius and Maldives, with the equidistance formula favouring both parties.
The PO’s recent statement announced the appointment of a three-member committee, led by former Attorney General Mohamed Anil, to seek a review of ITLOS’ decision. Despite Solih’s reference to a meeting with Jugnauth in June 2022, the PO noted the absence of any documented exchange between Maldives and Mauritius regarding this matter.
