Maldives presses UK to reopen Chagos sovereignty talks

The Maldives has asked the United Kingdom to reopen talks over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, arguing that the archipelago should not be handed to Mauritius. In a letter to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, President Mohamed Muizzu said the Maldives wanted meaningful dialogue on the issue. The request adds a new claimant's voice to a long-running dispute centred on the strategically important islands in the Indian Ocean.

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According to a statement from the Maldivian presidential office, Muizzu said he was deeply disappointed that the UK had not consulted the Maldives before agreeing to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius. He urged Burnham to rectify what he described as an oversight by his predecessor, Keir Starmer. The Maldives says its own claim is supported by historical ties and geographical proximity, noting that the islands are about 500km away from the Maldives and much farther from Mauritius.

The dispute is closely linked to Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago and home to a key UK-US military base. The base sits in a strategic position between Asia and Africa and is leased by the UK to the US under a 99-year arrangement. The UK and Mauritius reached a deal in May 2025 to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, while allowing the UK to retain control of the airbase.

That agreement has remained politically sensitive because of the islands' military value and the competing claims over their future. The Maldives also said it has shared history and cultural ties with the Chagos archipelago, and pointed to its support for marine conservation and scientific research expeditions in the region. The intervention is significant because it comes from a neighbouring Indian Ocean state and raises the diplomatic complexity of a dispute already involving the UK, Mauritius and the United States.

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It also underlines how sovereignty questions in the region remain tied to wider security and strategic interests. The Chagos issue has been contested for years and has drawn in questions of decolonisation, military access and regional influence. In April, the UK set aside legislation that would have returned the islands to Mauritius after a lack of support from US President Donald Trump, according to the supplied material.

Mauritius has said it will spare no effort to reclaim the archipelago, showing that the dispute remains active despite earlier attempts to settle it. What happens next is unclear, including whether the UK will respond to the Maldives' request or alter its position on the planned transfer. The immediate question is whether the new appeal will change the pace or shape of talks over sovereignty.

For now, the dispute remains centred on the future of the islands, the status of Diego Garcia and the competing claims of the states involved.

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