Maldives rejects ITLOS ruling, withdraws letter sent to Mauritius

President Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday announced his decision to withdraw a letter sent by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius, which recognised Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.

Delivering his presidential address at the opening sitting of Parliament this year, President Muizzu said the Maldives’ Special Economic Zone would include the maritime area that he said had been vacated under decisions taken by the previous administration.

The President said the former government had relinquished a significant portion of the southern Special Economic Zone despite objections raised by the Maldives during discussions with Mauritius.

He said that on 19 November 2023 he instructed the Attorney General’s Office to review the decision and pursue available legal options to recover the area. Following this instruction, a three-member committee was appointed to study the matter, and its findings were submitted to the President on 22 January 2026.

President Muizzu said the Cabinet would review the matter and take further action based on the findings.

“The government has begun implementing these decisions. Legal steps have now been initiated to recover the vacated portion of the exclusive economic zone in line with the advice provided by appointed legal experts,” he said.

Announcing the withdrawal of the letter dated 22 August 2022, President Muizzu said the decision was made with reference to the Maldives’ archipelagic base points as defined under the Maldives Marine Zones Act.

He also said the government would propose amendments to the Maldives Maritime Areas Act, taking into account the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution. The President added that experts had recommended the establishment of a dedicated office to manage maritime boundary demarcation matters, and said the government intends to set up a separate agency for this purpose.

On the Chagos issue, President Muizzu said international experts appointed by the government had advised that decisions taken by the previous administration had caused damage to the state.

“I also announce that I have decided to establish a Commission of Inquiry under Article 115 of the Constitution to examine the decisions taken, to determine whether legal action is required, and to prevent similar actions in the future,” he said.

The President said the Maldives has a stronger claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands than Mauritius on geographical, historical and legal grounds. He added that the issue is not limited to international political considerations but is linked to historical records, principles of justice and the Maldives’ long-standing relations with the United Kingdom.

He said the Maldives has historical links with the Chagos archipelago, located south of Maldivian waters and locally known as Foalhavahi, and that these links are documented.