Yameen urges govt to entrust Chagos issue to ex-AG Munawwar
Dr Munawwar was among those critical of the previous government's approach to the case.
Former President Abdulla Yameen has called on the government to hand over the task of reclaiming part of the disputed maritime territory between the Maldives and Chagos to former Attorney General Dr Mohamed Munawwar, stating that the current Attorney General Ahmed Usham will not be able to succeed in the matter.
Yameen made the remarks during a rally organised by the People’s National Front (PNF) Thursday evening, where he criticised the government’s handling of the Chagos issue.
Yameen said he believes Dr Munawwar is the most suitable person to lead the legal efforts to recover the maritime area. He also referred to Munawwar’s leadership of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating the case of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, stating that the same level of oversight should be applied to the maritime matter.
“This should go under Munawwar's supervision. Then a strong legal team should come in,” Yameen said.
The former president also outlined three key steps he believes are necessary to advance the Maldives’ claim:
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The matter should be led by Dr Munawwar with support from a legal team.
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Parliament must pass a resolution declaring that Chagos was taken from Maldivians during British rule.
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The previous government's decision to relinquish part of the sea without parliamentary approval should be declared void.
Yameen argued that historical evidence and legal research support the Maldives’ claim and stated that discussions in the British Parliament may continue in the future. He referred to past efforts by President Ibrahim Nasir to expel the British from Gan and stated that even the British had acknowledged uncertainty over their legal jurisdiction over Chagos.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), based in Hamburg, ruled on 28 April 2023 that the maritime boundary should begin from the coast of the Chagos Islands, as argued by the Maldives. The tribunal awarded 47,232 square kilometres to the Maldives and 45,331 square kilometres to Mauritius.
Despite the ruling, the then opposition—now the ruling coalition—claimed that the outcome represented a loss of a portion of the southern economic zone. Dr Munawwar was among those critical of the previous government's approach to the case.
Following the change in government, the Attorney General's Office established a committee to review the matter within the first 100 days of the new administration, seeking the support of international experts.
Dr Munawwar is recognised for his expertise in international maritime law. He has worked on key legislation and conventions concerning maritime areas and represented the Maldives in matters involving the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
