Gasim Urges Gov’t to Pursue Talks with UK Amidst Shift in Chagos Islands Decision

Jumhooree Party’s leader, Gasim Ibrahim, has called upon the Maldivian government to engage in talks with the United Kingdom promptly. 

The appeal comes in the wake of reports indicating a change in the UK’s decision not to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

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Taking to Facebook yesterday, Gasim asserted that the altered stance on the Chagos Islands provides an opportune moment for the Maldivian government to act “wisely and swiftly” in reclaiming maritime territory lost to Mauritius.

The leader highlighted that the UK’s decision has positively influenced the Maldives’ chances in the dispute over the delimitation of the maritime boundary with Mauritius at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

Gasim respectfully urged President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to initiate efforts promptly, referencing the president’s electoral pledge to appeal ITLOS’ decision within the initial 100 days of his term.

Reiterating a commitment made during his own presidential campaign, Gasim emphasised the issue’s significance to the national interests of the Maldives. He assured full support from his party to the president in addressing this matter.

The Chagos Islands have been at the center of a prolonged dispute with Mauritius, culminating in a 2019 ruling by the International Court of Justice declaring Britain’s ownership unlawful. The UN General Assembly, including Maldives, voted for the islands’ swift relinquishment.

The territorial dispute between the Maldives and Mauritius centers around an area overlapping the exclusive economic zones of the Maldives and the Chagos Islands. Mauritius brought the case to ITLOS under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2019.