The United Kingdom (UK) has said that the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago south of Maldives is an issue between the UK and Mauritius and that is the reason why they are not having any discussions with Maldives.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu sent a letter to the Prime Minister of the UK Andrew Burnham, as the decision from the UK to hand over Chagos to Mauritius was being enforced and invited the Prime Minister Burnham to the Maldives to have an open dialogue about the Chagos islands.
According to the statement from the UK Foreign Office spokesperson to international media organizations regarding the invite, the UK holds regular discussions with Maldives' Foreign Ministry regarding various matters. However, the statement reads that the question of Chagos' sovereignty is an issue between the UK and Mauritius.
In addition to the invitation to the UK Prime Minister, the President's Office said that President Muizzu expressed concerns over the UK's decision to hand over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.
"The President highlights the shared history and cultural ties between Maldives and Chagos. The President also highlighted Maldives' long-term support in expansive marine conservation scientific research expeditions," as per the President's Office website with regards to the letter.
The President said in the letter to the UK Prime Minister that Maldives wishes to maintain a trustworthy and constructive partnership, along with protecting the interests of Maldives.
While the UK clearly responded to Maldives' demand this time, the UK has always had the same policy. President Muizzu sent a letter to the UK Prime Minister in February, stating Maldives opposes the hand over of Chagos to Mauritius and that Maldives is the country with the most rightful claim.
The UK said the same thing at the time, stating that the issue of Chagos' sovereignty is between them and Mauritius.
After colonizing Mauritius, the British granted it independence in 1970 only after Mauritius agreed to let the UK retain control over the Chagos islands. Consequently, people were forcibly removed from the Chagos islands at that time.
Mauritius took the Chagos issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2018. In 2019, the court issued an advisory opinion stating that sovereign power over Chagos belongs to Mauritius.
After initially refusing to accept that decision, the United Kingdom agreed last year to return Chagos to Mauritius. However, the UK set a condition for Mauritius to lease Diego Garcia, where a powerful US military base is currently operated, for an additional 99 years.
