Munawwar says govt not involved in efforts to reclaim south sea

Former Attorney General Dr Mohamed Munawwar has stated that the current government was not involved in any efforts to recover the disputed southern maritime area, adding that the previous administration supported a division of the territory between Mauritius and the Maldives.

Dr Munawwar made the remarks at a press conference held by the Presidential Commission investigating the fall of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed from a building onto a rooftop on April 18. Questions raised by journalists also focused on the status of the maritime issue.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) previously ruled that the delimitation of maritime boundaries between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago, which is recognised as part of Mauritius, should be measured primarily from the baselines of the islands. This decision marked the first official demarcation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) south of the Maldives.

The ruling had triggered criticism at the time, with members of the then-opposition arguing that the former government had failed to prioritise national interests and accusing Munawwar of playing a role in the loss of the maritime territory. The issue was also a part of the current President’s campaign pledges, during which Munawwar was an active participant.

Responding to questions, Munawwar said his position on the matter remained unchanged.

“After securing 200 nautical miles from the baseline, the remainder should not be transferred to another country. I have always maintained this view,” he said.

However, he clarified that he was not engaged by the government in any official capacity to pursue the recovery of the maritime area after President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office. He said that while a committee was formed under the Attorney General’s Office—chaired by former Attorney General Mohamed Anil—he was not appointed to the body.

Munawwar added that Attorney General Ahmed Usham had sought his opinion and explored the possibility of entering into an agreement with him, which would include financial compensation. He said he declined the offer, citing that he did not wish to be paid for work relating to a matter of national interest.

According to Munawwar, two other former attorneys general—Aishath Azima Shakoor and Diyana Saeed—were involved in advocacy efforts with him during the election campaign, but none of them were engaged in official work after the new administration took office.

“One of them attempted to contact Anil and was told that it would not be possible,” he said. “We did not receive any response regarding our involvement in the matter.”

Munawwar said he believed that the Maldives has a legitimate claim to the Chagos Archipelago but that his attempts to present relevant research to the government had not been successful.

“I tried to meet with the Attorney General and the Foreign Minister, but I was not able to,” he said.

On 3 April, the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Mauritius issued a joint statement announcing an agreement to end British administration of the Chagos Archipelago. The statement followed a year of negotiations and confirmed the recognition of Chagos as sovereign territory of Mauritius. It also stated that the United States military base on Diego Garcia would remain under current arrangements.