Maldives urges Britain to restart sovereignty talks on Chagos archipelago

President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives sent a formal letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week, urging the United Kingdom to reopen negotiations over the status of the Chagos Islands, Al Jazeera reported. In the correspondence, Muizzu stressed that the archipelago should not be transferred to Mauritius, a claim the Maldives says could destabilise regional security and affect its own maritime interests.

The Maldives’ appeal comes amid a long‑standing dispute that began when Britain detached the Chagos Islands from the then‑British colony of Mauritius in 1965, shortly before Mauritius gained independence. The United Kingdom subsequently leased the largest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States for a military base that remains a pivotal outpost for American operations across the Indian Ocean. In 2019, an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice declared the UK’s continued administration of the islands illegal, urging a return to Mauritius. The United Nations General Assembly followed with a resolution supporting the court’s view, but Britain has so far maintained its claim.

Al Jazeera noted that Muizzu’s letter also highlighted the Maldives’ concerns about the environmental and economic implications of any transfer. The Maldives, an island nation heavily dependent on tourism and fisheries, fears that a shift in sovereignty could alter fishing rights and jeopardise marine conservation efforts in the surrounding waters. Moreover, the Maldives has cultivated close ties with India and other Indian Ocean states, which view the Chagos issue through the lens of broader geopolitical competition between Western powers and regional actors.

The request to reopen talks adds a new voice to the diplomatic chorus surrounding the islands. While Mauritius continues to press the UK for a peaceful hand‑over, the Maldives’ stance underscores how smaller Indian Ocean nations are increasingly asserting their interests in the region’s strategic calculations. If the United Kingdom were to engage in fresh negotiations, the process could involve multilateral mediation, possibly under the auspices of the UN, and would need to reconcile the United States’ security requirements with the legal opinions of international courts.

The outcome of any renewed dialogue could reshape the balance of power in the Indian Ocean, affect the future of the US base on Diego Garcia, and set a precedent for how colonial legacies are addressed in the 21st century. For now, the Maldives’ appeal signals a willingness to challenge the status quo and seek a solution that aligns with its national priorities and regional stability concerns.