USA should not be concerned over Diego Garcia if Diego Garcia given to Maldives: Pres

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that arrangements can be made to keep the military base which has been established in Diego Garcia if Maldives is given sovereignty of the Chagos Islands over Mauritius. 

The UK-colonized Chagos Islands has been recently handed over to Mauritius by the UK via an agreement.

While the agreement is being drafted, the UK has submitted to keep the United States of America (USA) military base in Diego Garcia, the largest island in Chagos. The island is currently leased to the USA from the UK.

President of the United States Donald Trump, who had advocated for Chagos to be handed over to Mauritius, has changed his tune on the matter.

He accused the UK of "great stupidity" for a deal to hand the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.

As per President Muizzu, Trump's concerns lie in the assurance of the safety and protection of Diego Garcia once the island goes under the sovereignty of Mauritius.

He highlighted that one of the biggest safety features of the Chagos Islands is the surrounding area of the ocean that is currently under protection.

"Maldives has the most experience in protecting large areas of the ocean. We will never bring about inadequate population and development, and will never fail to provide protection to the areas that need it," said the President.

President Muizzu stated that if the Chagos Islands are brought under the sovereignty of Maldives, it can be assured that it will be protected.

With the Chagos Islands being handed over to Mauritius, some environmental organizations have expressed concerns regarding trawling (fishing with nets) opportunities being a possibility in the protected areas.

It is being said that there will be obstacles regarding the safety and protection of Diego Garcia if the area is opened up to industries such as fishing.

Maldives' historical connections to the Chagos Islands covers the gravestone with Dhivehi writing being found at Chagos, Mauritius being 1,300 miles from Chagos and Maldives being only 310 miles from the archipelago, along with Mauritius being uninhabited before the 17th century and Maldives having established a connection with the Chagos Islands much earlier.

Mauritius was uninhabited until it had been colonized by the Netherlands, France and then later by the UK, who had brought Europeans and Africans to settle in Mauritius in the 17th century. However, Maldives already had been populated for more than 2,500 years.

The gravestone with Dhivehi markings being found in Chagos dates back 900 years, which is before Mauritius had been populated. A former Maldivian King had also claimed sovereignty of Chagos, with documents having been found that fishermen and travelers had stayed at Chagos.