On 2 February 2026, in his parliamentary address, President Mohamed Muizzu declared that the Maldives would no longer recognise Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and would incorporate the overlapping maritime areas into its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This marks a reversal of former President Ibrahim Solih’s policy recognising Mauritius’ sovereignty, and signals disregard for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) maritime boundary settlement of 2023. While the move reflects nationalist posturing ahead of local council elections and a reaction to a shifting global order, it raises important questions about the Maldives’ foreign policy and its implications for India and the broader region.
[…] Muizzu has further complicated the dispute by asserting sovereignty over Chagos, turning it into more than a matter of determining maritime borders. While it was commonly acknowledged that Chagos and the Maldives have long shared close cultural and historical ties, no previous Maldivian government had claimed sovereignty over the archipelago. Muizzu’s claim comes as the UK and Mauritius move to formalise the handover of Chagos, under which the UK would retain Diego Garcia as a US military base for 99 years and compensate Mauritius with around US$138 million annually. The Maldivian government has objected to this transfer, asserting to the UK that it holds a stronger claim over Chagos. President Muizzu has also assured that, should the Maldives gain sovereignty over Chagos, the US military base on Diego Garcia would be allowed to continue operations.
Nonetheless, this episode highlights a persistent challenge in Muizzu’s administration: naivety and a tendency to prioritise domestic politics over foreign policy. The move has so far failed to gain international support. Addressing Muizzu’s claims, Trump asserted that he would not allow Diego Garcia to be ‘undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense.’ The UK emphasised that Chagos’ sovereignty is a matter between the UK and Mauritius. At the same time, Muizzu’s bold proposal to operate a US military base from Maldivian territory has likely caught China—one of his close partners—by surprise.
https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/the-maldives-chagos-claim-implications-for-india
See also: Mauritius suspends diplomatic ties with Maldives
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/mauritius-suspends-diplomatic-ties-with-maldives/3843362