Maldives challenges UK-Mauritius plan with Chagos Islands sovereignty claim
The Maldives has formally demanded talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the future of the Chagos Islands, reasserting its own sovereignty interest in the archipelago at a moment when Labour's planned handover of the territory to Mauritius has stalled. President Mohamed Muizzu wrote to Burnham citing the Maldives' historical and cultural ties to Chagos, adding a new complication to a deal already thrown into doubt after the United States withdrew its backing.
Under the UK-Mauritius agreement, Britain would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while leasing back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia for 99 years, at a cost estimated by ministers at £3.4billion but by critics at up to £35billion. The deal's ratification has stalled since Donald Trump turned against it following a row with former PM Keir Starmer, and Trump has suggested Burnham "will have a look" at the agreement. Muizzu's office said he wants dialogue on Chagos sovereignty, noting the Maldives' proximity (around 800 miles from Diego Garcia) and its role in regional marine conservation, while Burnham's retention of deal architect Jonathan Powell as national security adviser has fuelled speculation he may still try to push the agreement through Parliament.
In short
- Maldives' president seeks Chagos Islands talks with PM Andy Burnham
- Labour's Mauritius handover deal stalled after US withdrew support
- Deal would cost £3.4bn-£35bn to lease back Diego Garcia base
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The UK-Mauritius agreement offers a negotiated route to resolve a longstanding sovereignty dispute while securing continued use of the Diego Garcia base through a 99-year lease. Supporters could argue that Mauritius’s claim and the deal’s diplomatic framework deserve priority over a new claim, and that prolonged uncertainty risks both regional relations and the base’s future.
The case against
The Maldives can reasonably argue that its historical and cultural ties, geographic proximity and role in regional marine conservation give it a legitimate interest in decisions about the Chagos Islands. Its supporters could say that proceeding with a UK-Mauritius settlement without hearing the Maldives risks excluding an affected regional state and settling sovereignty without adequately considering competing claims.
Explained simply
The Chagos Islands are a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, including Diego Garcia, which hosts a military base used by Britain and the United States. Britain has controlled the islands since the 1960s, when it separated them from Mauritius before Mauritius became independent; Chagossians were removed from their homes.
Mauritius has long sought the islands’ return, while the Maldives says it also has historical and cultural ties to the archipelago. The competing claims are part of a wider dispute over who should govern the islands and how their residents’ interests should be recognised.
The proposed UK-Mauritius agreement would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while allowing the military base on Diego Garcia to keep operating under a long-term lease. The issue matters for relations among the countries involved, the future of the base and the rights of Chagossians.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “If they’re up for grabs, we’ll take them! Maldives demands talks with Andy Burnham over Chagos Islands as tiny nation renews sovereignty claim amid Labour’s stalled handover to Mauritius”.