Image: from Sputnik India X @Sputnik_India
By OPEN CHRONICLE STAFF with Agencies
MALE, Maldives — The geopolitical battle over the Chagos Islands has taken a volatile turn as the Maldives formally notified the United Kingdom that it does not recognize the agreement to transfer the strategic archipelago to Mauritius.
President Mohamed Muizzu’s office confirmed to the BBC that the Maldives has lodged two written objections and conducted a high-level phone call with UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy to express its opposition to the “deeply concerning” deal. The move effectively opens a third front in the sovereignty dispute, with Male now threatening international legal action to press its own historical claims.
A Rivalry of Historical Claims
The Chagos Islands, officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, have been under UK control since the 19th century. While the British government agreed last year to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius, in exchange for a 99-year lease on the joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia, the Maldives argues that its own ties to the islands predate modern colonial boundaries.
“The decision by the British government to proceed in sole consultation with Mauritius, without due consideration of Maldivian interests, is deeply concerning,” Muizzu’s office said in a statement. “If sovereignty is to be vested in any nation, it must rightfully be the Maldives.”
The Maldives bases its claim on “profound historical and administrative ties” and geographical proximity, asserting that they hold a prior claim over any other state.
The “Trump Factor” and a Deal on Ice
The Maldivian intervention comes at a precarious moment for the British government. Although Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s administration initially championed the deal to avoid losing a series of international legal battles, the transfer is currently on indefinite hold.
The primary obstacle is U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly urged the UK not to surrender the territory. In a recent social media post, Trump stated that “this land should not be taken away from the UK,” a sentiment that contradicts previous State Department support for the deal. Without clear backing from Washington, London appears hesitant to codify the transfer into law.
Legal and Diplomatic Deadlock
UK Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty has maintained that sovereignty is a bilateral matter between Britain and Mauritius. Government sources point to a 2023 ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and a 2019 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, both of which favored Mauritian claims.
However, the Maldives is now reviewing these judgments with an eye toward its own submission to the ICJ. “The government of the Maldives will pursue all available avenues… to uphold the national interest,” the President’s office stated, signaling that a new round of litigation could further muddle the status of the islands.
Internal and External Pressure
The deal faces significant domestic opposition within the UK as well. The Conservative Party and Reform UK have criticized the transfer as a blow to British strategic interests in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, many native Chagossians feel betrayed by the agreement, fearing that Mauritian control will not guarantee their right to return to their ancestral homes.
As the Maldives asserts its “historical accuracy” against the backdrop of the “Leo Era” of global diplomatic realignments, the Chagos Islands remain a symbol of post-colonial friction and 21st-century military necessity. With Male now entering the fray, the “spirit of mutual respect” sought by President Muizzu may be difficult to find in an increasingly crowded and litigious Indian Ocean.