LONDON/MALÉ: Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has written to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking the new UK government to reopen discussions over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, challenging Britain’s agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius.
Muizzu said he was “deeply disappointed” that the Maldives had not been consulted before former British prime minister Keir Starmer agreed to cede sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius. The Maldives has maintained its own claim concerning the archipelago and has previously objected to the UK-Mauritius arrangement.
Britain rejected the suggestion that the sovereignty negotiations should be reopened to include the Maldives. A Foreign Office spokesperson said London remained in regular contact with Malé on a range of issues but maintained that sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago was a matter between Britain and Mauritius. Negotiations with Mauritius began in 2022.
The Chagos Islands include Diego Garcia, home to a strategically important UK-US military base. Under the agreement reached with Mauritius, Britain is to relinquish sovereignty while retaining long-term rights to operate the Diego Garcia base.