UK says Chagos sovereignty dispute is between Britain, Mauritius

UK Foreign Office said on Friday that the sovereignty dispute over the Chagos Archipelago is a matter solely between the United Kingdom and Mauritius.

The statement followed comments made by President Mohamed Muizzu in his presidential address to Parliament on Thursday, in which he announced the withdrawal of a letter sent on 22 August 2022 by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius stating that sovereignty over the Chagos would remain with Mauritius.

In his address, President Muizzu said he had sent two letters to the British government asserting that the Maldives has a legitimate claim related to the Chagos issue and opposing the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius.

Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu quoted the UK Foreign Office as saying that questions of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago fall outside the Maldives’ position. “Various courts, rulings and institutions have made clear that the question of sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago is between the UK and Mauritius,” the Foreign Office said in response to a query on the Maldives’ stance.

On 28 April 2024, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled on the delimitation of maritime boundaries, stating that the separation of the sea area should be considered primarily from the coast of the Chagos Islands, as argued by the Maldives. Under the ruling, a total area of 92,563 square kilometres was divided, with 47,232 square kilometres allocated to the Maldives and 45,331 square kilometres to Mauritius.

At the time, the Progressive Party of Maldives–People’s National Congress (PPM-PNC), then in opposition and now in government, said the ruling resulted in the loss of a significant part of the southern economic zone.

After assuming office, the Attorney General’s Office began efforts within its first 100 days to recover the disputed maritime area. A special committee was appointed and foreign experts were consulted. However, the submission of a complaint to ITLOS has since faced delays.

Following the presidential address on Thursday, security forces were instructed to continue monitoring the southern maritime area. The armed forces said surveillance operations are ongoing.

President Muizzu has said his administration aims to reclaim what it considers lost territory in the southern maritime zone and to pursue efforts related to sovereignty over the Chagos.