Indian Council of World Affairs

On 27 February 2026, the Republic of Mauritius suspended all diplomatic relations with the Republic of Maldives due to Maldives’ objection to the agreement signed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom pertaining to the Chagos Archipelago, which recognised Mauritius’ sovereignty over the archipelago.[1] The suspension of diplomatic relations between the two strategically located island countries in the Indian Ocean, amidst the current volatile  geopolitics in the region, is a cause for concern. The decision by the Mauritius, came following series of statements and positions taken by the present People’s National Congress (PNC) government in Male on Chagos in the parliament, at domestic public meetings and in international fora including at the UN after it came to power in 2023. 

Background 

The sovereignty over the Chagos Islands is a long-pending issue between Mauritius and the United Kingdom (UK). In May 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the United Kingdom’s ownership of the Chagos Islands is illegal. The United Nations, thereafter, called upon the United Kingdom to cede the Chagos to Mauritius at the earliest.[2] However, the Maldives voted against the resolution on Chagos at the UN. It defended the decision on the grounds that the Chagos Archipelago issue can be best ‘addressed through dialogue between the states concerned’.[3]

Following the ruling of the ICJ in 2019, the Republic of Mauritius appealed to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), seeking demarcation of the disputed overlapping territory of 95,000 sq km between the Maldives and Mauritius. Meanwhile, the MDP government in Male softened its stance on the issue. And in 2022, the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Solih, sent a letter to Mauritius supporting its sovereignty claim on the Chagos Islands. In April 2023, ITLOS delivered its judgement on maritime boundary delimitation. The judgement provided the Maldives with 47,232 sqkm, while Mauritius was given 45,331 sqkm[4]. After the judgement was delivered, the then opposition in the Maldives, including the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoory Party (JP), and Maldives National Party (MNP), accused the then government in power under Solih of not acting in the best interests of the Maldives.[5] The opposition also filed a no-confidence motion against the then Attorney General Riffath over the government's stand on the delimitation of the maritime boundary.[6] Though the ruling took into account Maldives interests, political parties in opposition and civil society of the Maldives believed that, because of the delimitation as ruled by ITLOS, the Maldives lost the right to a large part of the ocean, particularly fishing rights, and alleged that the then government did not fight harder for the rights of the country.[7]

In the meantime, in May 2025, Mauritius and the UK signed an agreement that recognised Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago in its entirety, including Diego Garcia.[8] The agreement allows the UK and the US to continue the maintenance of military bases on lease for an initial period of 99 years. The UK also agreed to pay an annual sum of $101 million to Mauritius to maintain the military base.[9] Though the UK government, led by the Labour Party, faced criticism from conservatives who described the deal as ‘an act of national self-harm’, which left the UK/US base in Diego Garcia ‘more exposed to China’, the government defended the agreement signed with Mauritius.[10] The UK seems keen on implementing decisions taken by the various courts, rulings, and institutions on the question of the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, which it believes is clearly between the UK and Mauritius.[11]

The PNC Government Position

Amidst these developments, in February this year, the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, formally communicated with Mauritius about the decision of his government to withdraw the letter dated 22 August 2022 issued by the former President of the Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, to the former Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, expressing support for Mauritius sovereignty claim over Chagos. The contents of the letter to Mauritius reflected a change in Maldives pposition on the Chagos issue, without prejudice to the legal position taken by the Maldives at the ITLOS and the submission made by it to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2010.[12] In the year 2010, the Maldives submitted its claims to the Commission for an extended continental shelf and new coordinates that claimed the full 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) measured from Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll in the country.[13] Therefore, President Muizzu noted that ‘the sudden and unexplained change in the position made by the previous administration, midway through the ITLOS proceedings’, without following due national process, had an adverse and detrimental effect on the Maldives’ interests.[14]

The Solih administration in 2023 insisted that the support to Mauritius claim on sovereignty over Chagos was unrelated to the tribunal case concerning the southern EEZ, ‘whose boundaries have never been, up until the ITLOS judgement in 2023, which was determined by the Law of the Sea Convention’.[15] The then government also dismissed the opposition’s significant allegation that it violated the constitution by not seeking parliamentary approval on territorial issues. The government claimed that the constitutional mandate would only apply to territorial boundaries of 12 miles from the coastline, and that decisions concerning the EEZ boundaries were ‘well within the mandate of government’.[16]

Therefore, during the Presidential elections in November 2023, the Chagos Islands issue figured prominently in the election campaign. It also became one of the important foreign policy agendas of the PNC government. The PNC’s 100-day agenda mentioned its claim over the Chagos. Therefore, the government submitted a formal written objection to the UK in November 2024 and in January 2026 over its decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Besides, the matter was discussed during the telephone conversation between the Deputy PM of the UK and President Muizzu on 15 December 2025.[17] In the letter sent on 18 January 2026, the Maldives objected to the UK’s decision to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos to Mauritius.[18] The letters also called for considering the economic and security interests of the island nation in any settlement. Additionally, the Maldives also notified both Mauritius and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) of its opposition to any economic measures undertaken in the Chagos region by Mauritius, which can negatively impact the Maldivian economy, particularly in fisheries and tourism.[19]

According to the government in Male, the Chagos, which is known as Foalhavahi in the Maldives, had a deep historical connection. A 16th-century letter, with a map of Chagos, that was authored by King Hassan IX is shown as evidence by the government in Male to prove that the Chagos fell within the geographical boundaries of the Maldives even at that time.[20] The close geographical distance is also given as a reason for the Maldives’ claim on Chagos, as Diego Garcia is only 310 miles from Male, whereas it is 1,300 miles from Port Louis.[21] The government of the Maldives has also decided to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the motives behind the decision made by the previous administration, and it has also decided to establish an office for matters relating to national territories.[22] On 4^th February 2026, the Maldives deployed the Coast Guard’s largest vessel, Dharumavantha, in its Southern EEZ waters.[23]

Greater Implications

Though the Maldives government said it is open to engaging with Mauritius and other international shareholders for a stable solution,[24] the dispute between the two most important island nations in the Indian Ocean has the potential to escalate and disrupt the peace and stability in the IOR, given the current volatile geopolitics in the region and developments in the Persian Gulf. The Maldives and Mauritius are important Indian Ocean neighbours for India and members of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC). Under the CSC, the five pillars of cooperation and their implementation are important to maintain peace and stability in the region. The five pillars include maritime safety and security; counter-terrorism and radicalisation; combating trafficking and transnational organised crime; cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure and technology; and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, which are vital for the stability of the region. Therefore, the present diplomatic tension between the two island states may not augur well for the security of the region both in the short and long term. The issue involves questions of decolonisation, maritime jurisdiction, and strategic interests of states in the Indian Ocean as well as livelihood issue.[25] At the domestic level, in the upcoming local council elections, in Maldives, which are going to take place in early April 2026, the Chagos Islands issue is going to figure prominently. The government may appeal to voters on this basis to win the majority of councils.

*****

*Dr. Samatha Mallempati, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal.

End Notes

[1] Republic of Mauritius, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Regional Trade, COMMUNIQUÉ, Port Louis, February 27, 2026, https://foreign.govmu.org/Communique/Communiqu%C3%A9%20on%. Accessed March 1, 2026.

[2]  “Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965”,  25 February 2019, https://www.statewatch.org/media/documents/news/2019/mar/icj-advisory-opinion-uk-chagos-islands-25-2-19.pdf. Accessed March 1, 2026

[3] “Chagos Islands dispute: Maldives votes "no" to end UK control”, May 23, 2019, https://raajje.mv/56700. Accessed March 2, 2026

[4] Mariyath Mohamed, “Mauritius suspends diplomatic ties with Maldives over Chagos”, February 27, 2026, https://edition.mv/news/48651. Accessed March 3, 2026

[5] “AG: Maldives won; ITLOS’ decision cannot be appealed”, March 11, 2023, https://see.mv/82440. Accessed March 1, 2026

[6]  Ibid

[7] Maldives Financial Review, “A no-confidence motion filed against Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath”, 12^th May 2023, https://mfr.mv/policy/a-no-confidence-motion-filed-against-attorney-general-ibrahim-riffath. Accessed March 4, 2026.

[8] “Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia”,

London and Port Louis, May 22, 2025, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/682f25afc054883884bff42a/CS_Mauritius_1.2025_Agreement_Chagos_Diego_Garcia.pdf. Accessed March 5, 2026

[9] Sam Francis and Kate Whannel, “UK signs £101m-a-year deal to hand over Chagos Islands”, May 23, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9914ndy82po. Accessed March 6, 2026

[10] Ibid

[11]  “UK: Chagos’ sovereignty is a matter only between UK and Mauritius”, February 7, 2026, https://see.mv/102969. Accessed March 8, 2026

[12]  Mohamed Rehan, “President Solih's letter to Mauritian PM leaked”, November 9, 20223, https://edition.mv/journalism_code_of_ethics/29137. Accessed March 9, 2026

[13] “Maldives-Mauritius boundary issue – ITLOS rules in favor of Maldives”, April 23, 2023, https://timesofaddu.com/2023/04/28/maldives-mauritius-boundary-issue-itlos-rules-in-favor-of-maldives/. Accessed March 1, 2026

[14] The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, “President withdraws 2022 letter issued by former administration on the Government’s Position on Chagos Archipelago Advisory Opinion of ICJ”, February 5, 2026, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/36144. Accessed March 4, 2026

[15] Ahmed Naish, “Maldives deploys military after Muizzu rejects maritime boundary with Mauritius”, February 5, 2023, https://maldivesindependent.com/politics/maldives-deploys-military-after-muizzu-rejects-maritime-boundary-with-mauritius-02f7. Accessed March 1, 2026.

[16] Ibid

[17]  The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, “Presidential Address 2026: President affirms that not an iota of Maldivian territory will be surrendered”, February 5, 2026, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/36135. Accessed March 9, 2026

[18]  Fathimath Shiuza “President Dr. Muizzu calls Mauritius’ move unreasonable, reaffirms Maldives’ claim to Chagos”, March 2, 2026, https://maldivesvoice.mv/2706. Accessed March 8, 2026

[19] Ibid

[20] The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, “President affirms Maldives' legitimate claim to the Chagos Archipelago”, March 2, 2026, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/36303. Accessed March 6, 2026

[21]  P. K. Balachandran, “International and Domestic Impact Of The Maldives-Mauritius Dispute Over The Chagos Islands – Analysis”, February 9, 2026, https://www.eurasiareview.com/09022026-international-and-domestic-impact-of-the-maldives-mauritius-dispute-over-the-chagos-islands-analysis/. Accessed March 3, 2026

[22]  “Presidential Address 2026: President affirms that not an iota of Maldivian territory will be surrendered”, February 5, 2026, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/36135. Accessed March 7, 2026

[23]  Ahmed Ashraf, “President Muizzu Government Launches Southern EEZ Military Surveillance to Reverse Solih-Era Maritime Handover”, February 5, 2026, https://standard.mv/president-muizzu-government-launches-southern-eez-military-surveillance-to-reverse-solih-era-maritime-handover/. Accessed March 4, 2026

[24] The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, “President withdraws 2022 letter issued by former administration on the Government’s Position on Chagos Archipelago Advisory Opinion of ICJ”, February 5, 2026, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/36144. Accessed March 6, 2026

[25]  “Chagos Sovereignty Row Triggers Diplomatic Break between Maldives and Mauritius”, February 28, 2026, https://corporatemaldives.com/chagos-sovereignty-row-triggers-diplomatic-break-between-maldives-and-mauritius/. Accessed March 7, 2026