Nasheed says Maldives still has a chance to secure sovereign guardianship of Chagos Islands

Former President Mohamed Nasheed says the Maldives still has an opportunity to gain sovereign guardianship of the Chagos Islands, despite international rulings favoring Mauritius.

Nasheed made the remarks on Saturday in a post on social media platform X, responding to reports that the UK Parliament’s Upper House is preparing to vote on a bill to cede Chagos to Mauritius.

“The opportunity to have the sovereign guardianship of Chagos has not yet been lost,” Nasheed wrote.

Nasheed argued that the Maldives is the most deserving country to claim Chagos, citing historical ties, Dhivehi inscriptions on gravestones in the islands, and geographical proximity.

Thank goodness the UK Gov has shelved its plan to hand Chagos to Mauritius. The Maldives has a far greater claim to the islands: we share historical ties, our language (Dhivehi) is inscribed on gravestones in Chagos, there’s a 16th century Royal patent, we have oral traditions…

— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) January 24, 2026

His comments follow an interview given by President Mohamed Muizzu to the British newspaper Express on Wednesday, in which he said the Maldives has a greater right to sovereignty over Chagos than any other country.  

President Muizzu said the Maldives’ concerns had been formally conveyed to the UK Government, and reiterated that the islands, known locally as Foalhavahi, have historical links to the Maldives.

In a statement made on November 10, 2024, President Muizzu claimed that documents show Chagos is more authentically connected to the Maldives than to Mauritius. He also accused the previous administration of illegally surrendering a large portion of the Maldives’ maritime territory without public consent.

The Chagos Islands, occupied by Britain in 1965 while Mauritius was under colonial rule, were leased to the United States until 2036 for the operation of a military base in Diego Garcia.

Foalhavahi himeyney Chagos jazeeraa thah Mauritus ah dhinumuge Bill, Ingireysi Mathigey (House of Lords) ge vote ah thayyaaru vefai vanikoh, Bill ah vote dhinun evanee faskoffa. Foalhavahi ge siyaadhathee beleniverikan Dhivehi Raajje ah libumuge furusathu adhi gehligen nudhey.

— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) January 24, 2026

In 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in favor of Mauritius, declaring the UK’s continued administration of Chagos unlawful and calling for the islands to be returned. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly echoed this demand.

In a separate ruling, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) divided a disputed 95,000-square-kilometer maritime area between Mauritius and the Maldives.

The Muizzu administration has pledged to appeal the ITLOS decision, and formed a special committee headed by former Attorney General Mohamed Anil to pursue the Chagos case.