Maldives asks UK to reopen sovereignty talks over Chagos Islands
News Source
โขTue, 08 Sep 2026 15:43:21 +0000
๐ฐ What Happened
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has written to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. He asks Britain to reopen talks over the Chagos Islands instead of handing them to Mauritius. The Maldives says its claim rests on history and on being only about 500 kilometres away.
The Chagos chain lies in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Its largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a UK-US military base leased to America for 99 years. The planned handover to Mauritius has stalled, partly due to US pressure, and now the Maldives wants a say.
๐ The Backstory
Britain removed the Chagos islanders in the 1960s and 1970s to build the base. Thousands were forced off their homes. Many ended up in Mauritius or the UK and fought for years for the right to return.
In 2019, the UN's top court said Britain's control of the islands was unlawful. Britain later agreed in principle to hand them to Mauritius, but the deal keeps slipping. The US worries about its base, and now the Maldives adds a new claim.
๐ฏ Why It Matters
Diego Garcia is a vital base for the US and UK military. Who owns the Chagos Islands shapes security across the Indian Ocean, where much of the world's shipping passes.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has written to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. He asks Britain to reopen talks over the Chagos Islands instead of handing them to Mauritius. The Maldives says its claim rests on history and on being only about 500 kilometres away.
The Chagos chain lies in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Its largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a UK-US military base leased to America for 99 years. The planned handover to Mauritius has stalled, partly due to US pressure, and now the Maldives wants a say.
Britain removed the Chagos islanders in the 1960s and 1970s to build the base. Thousands were forced off their homes. Many ended up in Mauritius or the UK and fought for years for the right to return.
In 2019, the UN's top court said Britain's control of the islands was unlawful. Britain later agreed in principle to hand them to Mauritius, but the deal keeps slipping. The US worries about its base, and now the Maldives adds a new claim.
Diego Garcia is a vital base for the US and UK military. Who owns the Chagos Islands shapes security across the Indian Ocean, where much of the world's shipping passes.