Chagos Deal Halted by UK Court as Legal Challenge Emerges — Maldives’ Past Claim Still Awaits Response
Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago, was separated from Mauritius along with the rest of the Chagos Islands in 1965 and now houses a US military base.
The UK government has been temporarily blocked from finalizing a sovereignty deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago after a High Court judge granted an emergency injunction in the early hours of Thursday. The decision has once again raised broader regional concerns — including the unresolved position of the Maldives, which last year submitted a formal claim to protect its maritime interests in the area.
The ruling, delivered by Mr Justice Goose granted “interim relief” to two women of Chagossian descent, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, who argue that the UK government failed to consult their community in negotiations with Mauritius.
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had been expected to join a virtual signing ceremony to formally begin the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The proposed agreement allows the UK and the US to continue operating a joint military base on Diego Garcia — the largest island in the archipelago — for at least 99 years. Financial details have not been disclosed but are expected to cost the UK taxpayer billions.
In his order, Justice Goose stated that the UK “shall take no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory… or bind itself as to the particular terms of any such transfer” until further court proceedings.
Background: The Chagos Dispute
The Chagos Archipelago was detached from Mauritius in 1965, when the latter was still a British colony. The UK retained control of the territory and later allowed the United States to build a military base on Diego Garcia. Between 1967 and 1973, more than 1,000 Chagossians were forcibly removed from the islands and resettled in Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the UK.
An immigration order issued in 1971 barred their return, triggering decades of legal battles. In recent years, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the United Nations General Assembly ruled that the UK’s continued administration of the islands is unlawful and called for the territory to be returned to Mauritius. Despite this, the UK has maintained control, citing strategic defence needs.
The Chagossian community, now dispersed, remains divided. While some seek a right of return, others focus on compensation or UK citizenship rights. Some oppose the UK-Mauritius negotiations altogether, insisting they are being excluded from deciding their homeland’s future.
Maldives’ Position: A Strategic Stake
Though not a direct party to the court case or the UK-Mauritius negotiations, the Maldives has a significant stake in the issue. In 2023, the Maldives government formally submitted a letter to the British government asserting its claim to parts of the surrounding maritime area, particularly regarding overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) affected by the Chagos boundaries.
The claim aligns with a presidential pledge made by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who has committed to regaining the Maldives’ original EEZ as part of his foreign policy priorities. The Chagos case affects these maritime borders, especially after the Maldives was one of the few countries to vote against the UN resolution calling for the UK to return the territory to Mauritius — citing concern for its own sea boundary rights.
Since submitting the letter, however, the Maldives has received no official response from the UK, and there has been no further public update from the Maldivian government either.
Observers in Malé have raised concern that the Maldives’ position is being sidelined in major decisions affecting Indian Ocean geopolitics and that any final agreement could risk compromising national interests if regional voices are excluded.
