Full Breakdown
Maldives President Urges United Kingdom's (UK) to Reopen Chagos Sovereignty Talks
9/8/2026, 11:30:42 PM
Letter to the British Prime Minister
On September 8, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu sent a letter to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking that negotiations over the Chagos Archipelago’s sovereignty be reopened. Muizzu said the Maldives was “deeply disappointed” that the United Kingdom proceeded with a hand-over to Mauritius without consulting the Maldives, and he urged Burnham to “rectify this oversight.”
Historical and Legal Context
The United Kingdom retained the Chagos Islands after granting Mauritius independence in 1970, forcibly removing the islands’ inhabitants. Mauritius challenged the arrangement at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and later at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which issued an advisory opinion in 2019 that sovereignty belongs to Mauritius. After initially resisting the ruling, the UK agreed in May 2025 to transfer the archipelago to Mauritius while preserving a 99-year lease of the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia. Negotiations with Mauritius began in 2022, and the Maldives has long highlighted its geographic proximity—about 500 km (310 miles) from the islands, roughly one-quarter the distance from Mauritius.
Key Figures & Numbers
- President Mohamed Muizzu – Head of the Maldives, author of the September 8 letter.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham – UK leader addressed in the letter.
- Distance – Maldives lies ~500 km (310 miles) from Chagos; Mauritius is more than four times farther.
- Lease term – The US-UK base on Diego Garcia is secured under a 99-year lease that the UK intends to retain after the sovereignty transfer.
Anticipated Next Steps
The Maldives has invited Prime Minister Burnham to the Maldives for a formal discussion, seeking a “trustworthy and constructive partnership” and a chance for the Maldives’ voice to be heard before the hand-over proceeds. No specific date for the proposed meeting has been announced.
