Maldives Claims Chagos, Home of US Base
Maldives Claims Chagos, Home of US Base
The News
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has written to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking Britain to reopen sovereignty talks over the Chagos Islands instead of handing them to Mauritius.
The archipelago, officially the British Indian Ocean Territory, contains Diego Garcia — the military base Britain leases to the United States under a 99-year deal.
Muizzu's office released the letter Tuesday. He said he was "deeply disappointed" the UK never consulted the Maldives before agreeing to cede the islands, and urged Burnham to "rectify this oversight by your predecessor."
Why the Maldives Says It Has a Claim
The Maldives government argues its claim rests on historical ties and geography: the islands sit about 500km (310 miles) away, while Mauritius is more than four times that distance. Muizzu's letter also cited shared history and cultural ties, plus the Maldives' long support for marine conservation and scientific expeditions in the region.
Timeline
The previous UK government opens negotiations with Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, according to a UK Foreign Office spokesman quoted Tuesday by the Press Association.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer finalizes a multibillion-dollar deal to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while keeping British control of the Diego Garcia airbase.
The UK sets aside Starmer's bill returning the islands to Mauritius, citing a lack of support from President Donald Trump. Mauritius vows to "spare no effort" to reclaim the archipelago.
Muizzu's office releases his letter to Burnham demanding talks and stressing "the importance of meaningful dialogue between the UK and the Maldives on matters concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago."
Reactions
The UK Foreign Office rejected the opening. A spokesman told the Press Association that "the question of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is a matter for the UK and Mauritius, which is why the previous government launched negotiations with Mauritius on the issue in 2022, rather than with the Maldives."
Trump has kept up his attacks on what he calls a "terrible" deal, according to the Daily Mail, while suggesting Burnham "will have a look" at it. His reversal came amid a public fight with Starmer over the Iran war.
Britain's opposition press has framed Labour's agreement as a "surrender deal" — language the Daily Mail used again Tuesday in reporting the Maldivian claim.
What's Next
Parliament's ratification of the Mauritius agreement remains stalled after Washington pulled its support, leaving the handover in limbo.
Burnham has not publicly answered Muizzu's invitation to talk. With the Foreign Office saying sovereignty is a matter for the UK and Mauritius alone, the Maldives has no seat at the table unless the government reverses that position.
More
Diego Garcia is the largest island in the chain and sits in the middle of the Indian Ocean between Asia and Africa — the reason Washington treats it as one of its most valuable pieces of real estate anywhere. Under Labour's deal, Britain would give up the islands and then pay to lease the base back.
Poll
Should the UK hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius?
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