Maldives formally rejects UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands transfer deal

Key facts

• Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu conveyed non-recognition of the UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands deal through two written objections (November 2024 and January 2026) and a phone call with UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
• The President's Office termed the UK proceeding "in sole consultation with Mauritius" as "deeply concerning" and asserted Maldives' historical claim to the archipelago.
• The UK pays an average £101 million per year to lease the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest Chagos island.
• International Court of Justice (ICJ) 2019 advisory opinion and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) 2023 ruling endorsed Mauritius' claim, calling the 1965 separation unlawful.
• US President Donald Trump urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to cede the territory, placing the UK-Mauritius deal on indefinite hold.
• Maldives government is evaluating legal options, including a formal submission to ICJ, to assert sovereign rights over the Chagos Archipelago.