Muizzu Reiterates Maldives’ Claim Over Chagos Islands in UK Interview, Challenges UK–Mauritius Deal

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has reiterated the Maldives’ claim over the Chagos Islands, saying his administration has formally raised concerns with the United Kingdom over plans to transfer sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius, according to an interview published by UK-based news outlet Express.

In the interview, Muizzu said the British government is fully aware of the Maldives’ position through official correspondence, and maintained that the Maldives has a stronger claim than Mauritius based on geographical proximity and historical connections. He added that while discussions are ongoing, details of the exchanges cannot be disclosed. The interview was reported by Express.co.uk, from which the remarks were attributed.

The comments come as a treaty to transfer sovereignty was signed by the UK government in May last year, following negotiations initiated under the previous Conservative administration. The agreement follows a 2019 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which stated that the UK should end its administration of the territory. The UN General Assembly later called on member states to support Mauritius’ claim.

As part of the deal, the UK has agreed to pay Mauritius at least around £100 million annually over the 99-year lease period, amounting to a minimum total cost of around £13 billion. A £40 million fund has also been announced for Chagossians who were forcibly removed from the islands between 1967 and 1973. 

The dispute has its roots in the colonial era. The Chagos Archipelago was detached from Mauritius in 1965, when Mauritius was still a British colony, and remained under UK control after Mauritian independence. The UK later permitted the United States to establish a military base in Diego Garcia. 

In recent years, the issue escalated internationally. In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion stating that the UK’s continued administration of the Chagos Islands was unlawful and that the territory should be returned to Mauritius. The United Nations General Assembly subsequently called on member states to support Mauritius’ claim. Despite this, the UK has continued to administer the islands, citing strategic defence considerations.

Mauritius later brought a case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to determine its maritime boundary with the Maldives, making the matter politically and legally sensitive in Malé. The case has implications for sovereignty, maritime rights and regional diplomacy in the Indian Ocean.

Although the Maldives is not a direct party to the UK–Mauritius negotiations, it has a strategic stake in the outcome. In 2023, the Maldivian government formally submitted a letter to the UK asserting its claim over parts of the surrounding maritime area, particularly where Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) overlap due to the Chagos boundaries. The claim aligns with a presidential pledge by Muizzu to restore what the government describes as the Maldives’ original EEZ.

The Maldives was among the few countries to vote against the UN General Assembly resolution calling for the UK to return the territory to Mauritius, citing concerns over its own maritime boundary rights. However, since submitting the letter to London, the Maldivian government has received no official response, and no further public update has been issued.Despite the disagreement, Muizzu told Express that relations between the Maldives and the UK remain strong, pointing to longstanding people-to-people ties, particularly in tourism, and emphasising that the dispute should not overshadow broader bilateral relations, according to the article published by Express.