The UK strongly rejects the Maldives’ claims to Chagos. London maintains the exclusivity of its agreement with Mauritius, despite opposition from Malé and political pressure from Donald Trump.
The United Kingdom has rejected the Maldives’ request to contest the transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the BBC reported on Saturday. The British position recalls that the sovereignty of the archipelago rests solely with London and Port Louis, and not with Malé.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has formally expressed his opposition to the agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, sending two written objections to London in November 2024 and January 2026, and confirming his position during a telephone conversation with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. In a statement sent to the BBC, Muizzu’s office described the proposed transfer as “deeply concerning” and deplored that Maldivian interests had not been taken into account. The Maldives claim historical and geographical rights over the archipelago, which they consider superior to those of Mauritius.
The British Foreign Office, quoted by the BBC, reaffirmed that the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands is a bilateral matter between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. A British government source also recalled that international courts, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, have already examined the issue and confirmed the legitimacy of the Mauritian request.
The Chagos Islands have been under British control since the beginning of the 19th century but illegally detached from Mauritius shortly before Independence. In 2025, the British government agreed to transfer control of the archipelago to Mauritius, while continuing to pay around 101 million pounds per year to lease Diego Garcia on which there is a joint military base with the United States.
The transfer has not yet been formalized in British legislation and the text of the law allowing it, and which had reached a final stage in the British Parliament a few weeks ago, seems to be suspended, in particular after pressure from American President Donald Trump, who urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer not to cede the territory.
The Maldives is now considering legal action and continues to evaluate all avenues to assert its claims. The press release from the Maldivian president recalls that his country considers that “if sovereignty must be attributed to a state, it must, in our opinion, return to the Maldives”. The Maldivian government wishes to engage in dialogue “in a spirit of mutual respect and historical accuracy” with the United Kingdom.
The situation complicates the agreement between London and Port Louis, already weakened by the opposition of certain British political actors, including the Conservative and Reform UK parties, and by the opinion of Chagossians attached to the United Kingdom retaining sovereignty in order to facilitate their future return, notes the BBC.
The hypothesis of an American takeover becomes clearer in the event of failure of the agreement
According to an article published a few days ago by The Sun, a controversial hypothesis is becoming more insistent around the future of the Chagos archipelago. The British newspaper, as well as the Daily Express US, which spoke about it last weekend citing its own sources, reports that American President Donald Trump could consider repurchasing these territories if the retrocession agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius were to fail. According to American sources cited by the British tabloid, this option, although not a priority, should be “taken seriously”. It comes in a context of growing tensions around the project led by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aiming to transfer the sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius while maintaining a joint military presence on the strategic base of Diego Garcia via a 99-year lease.
Donald Trump described this agreement as “great stupidity”, further weakening the British project. Relations between London and Washington would also have become strained after Keir Starmer’s refusal to authorize the use of Diego Garcia for initial strikes against Iran. The daily indicates that the possibility of an American purchase would mainly aim to secure this key military base, considered one of the main Western strategic support points in the Indian Ocean. However, such an operation would raise significant legal obstacles, notably requiring a formal transfer of sovereignty by treaty. Last week, British Foreign Secretary Hamish Falconer rejected the prospect, saying London remained committed to the deal struck with its allies. Finally, still according to The Sun, voices from the British opposition, notably among the Conservatives and Reform UK, denounce a project perceived as a humiliating abandonment of territory, likely to weaken Western control over this strategic area.
