Maldives Urges UK to Reopen Talks on Chagos Islands Sovereignty

The president of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, has asked the United Kingdom to reopen talks over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, arguing that the archipelago should not be handed over to Mauritius, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

In a letter addressed to the UK's prime minister, Muizzu reportedly raised objections to the transfer of sovereignty, though the specific reasoning outlined in the letter was not detailed in the report.

The Chagos Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, have long been the subject of a sovereignty dispute involving the UK and Mauritius. The UK separated the islands from Mauritius before Mauritian independence in 1968 and has administered them as the British Indian Ocean Territory. The largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a joint UK-US military base.

Al Jazeera's report did not specify further details of the Maldivian government's position or any response from UK officials at the time of publication.

The issue of Chagos sovereignty has drawn regional attention from other Indian Ocean states, with the Maldives now formally requesting that London revisit the matter directly, according to the report.