Maldives asks UK to reopen sovereignty talks over Chagos Islands

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has urged UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reopen talks over the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, arguing the islands should not be transferred to Mauritius. In a statement from the Maldivian presidential office, Muizzu said the Maldives was disappointed that it was not consulted when the previous British government reached a deal with Mauritius and asked Burnham to correct that omission. The Maldivian government frames its claim on historical connections and geographic proximity, noting the Chagos are roughly 500 kilometres (310 miles) from the Maldives while Mauritius lies more than four times farther away. The Maldives also pointed to shared cultural ties and said it has long supported major marine conservation and scientific research efforts in the region. The archipelago includes Diego Garcia, the largest island and site of a significant UK‑US military installation. The base is central to the strategic value of the islands and is operated under a long‑term arrangement that the UK has used to host US facilities. That strategic importance has shaped diplomatic negotiations around sovereignty. The letter comes after a sequence of developments under the prior UK government: Keir Starmer finalised a May 2025 agreement to cede sovereignty to Mauritius — an arrangement described in the source as including multibillion‑dollar provisions to preserve control of the Diego Garcia base — and a later bill to return the islands was set aside in April because of lack of support from the United States administration led by Donald Trump (as reported in the source). A UK Foreign Office spokesperson told the Press Association that sovereignty is a matter for the UK and Mauritius and noted that negotiations with Mauritius began in 2022 rather than with the Maldives.