Starmer and Mandelson’s Chagos Surrender is not only harming the special relationship with the U.S. by undermining the strategically important base at Diego Garcia, but now also triggering tensions between Maldives and Mauritius.
The Maldives has announced that it has taken operational control of what it describes as the territorial waters of the northern Chagos area, directly challenging a ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and raising new questions about competing sovereignty claims involving the United Kingdom and Mauritius.
In a report published by Maldives Republic, the country’s defence ministry said on Thursday that the Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard vessel Dharumavantha and Air Corps drones had begun a surveillance operation over the southern special economic zone.
“The operation began on 4 February and covers 200 nautical miles from the southern baseline,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.
The action followed President Mohamed Muizzu’s address to parliament, in which he said the state did not recognise any changes to Maldivian territory as defined under the Constitution and national laws.
Citing Article 115(d) of the Constitution, the ministry said the president bears responsibility for safeguarding independence and territorial integrity. It also referred to Article 243, the Armed Forces Act and the Maldives Maritime Zones Act as the legal basis for continued military monitoring and protection of maritime zones, including the exclusive economic zone.
Muizzu also announced that his government had withdrawn a letter sent by former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the prime minister of Mauritius regarding the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, and would challenge the ITLOS ruling on the maritime boundary between the Maldives and Mauritius.
He said the decision followed consultations with cabinet ministers and local and international legal experts, adding that advice indicated the earlier correspondence had adversely affected national security and maritime territory.
Under the tribunal’s decision, the Maldives was awarded about 92,563 square kilometres of disputed maritime area but lost around 45,331 square kilometres from waters it had previously claimed as part of its exclusive economic zone.
“The government will not recognise the maritime boundary determined by the tribunal,” Muizzu said, arguing that Maldivian exclusive economic zone limits were already defined under domestic law through archipelagic baselines set out in the Maritime Areas Act.
He also said his administration had engaged the British government over the Chagos Archipelago, stating that two letters had been sent asserting what he described as a stronger Maldivian claim than Mauritius and that a telephone conversation had taken place with the British deputy prime minister.
The maritime dispute is linked to the wider question of sovereignty over the Chagos islands, including Diego Garcia, which hosts a strategically significant United States military base. In its reasoning, the tribunal relied in part on an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice that concluded sovereignty over the archipelago lies with Mauritius and described the United Kingdom’s past administration as unlawful.
Muizzu accused the previous Maldivian administration of legal missteps during the proceedings, an allegation the former government has rejected.
He announced the creation of a commission of inquiry into how the case was handled and said experts had advised establishing a special government office to coordinate legal, technical and diplomatic work related to the dispute.
According to Maldives Republic, the move marks the first publicly known instance in modern Maldivian history of a sitting president withdrawing formal correspondence sent by a former leader to another head of government, and the first known deployment of Maldivian forces in an active surveillance role to assert control over a disputed maritime area.
The developments come as the United Kingdom continues negotiations with Mauritius over the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The deal has been signed but not yet ratified in the House of Lords. It is expected Keir Starmer will try to bring it back to the Lords for ratification on the week commencing the 23rd February 2026.
Labour Ministers have previously said any agreement seeks to protect security arrangements at Diego Garcia, while critics argue they are already being proven wrong as the surrender is already complicating regional relations.
Writing on X, Lord Hannan said, “Starmer’s feebleness has now encouraged the Maldives to invade British territory with impunity.”
Brent Sandler from the Heritage Foundation added, “Amidst a roaring UK scandal and under-the-table parliamentary manoeuvres a flawed deal that would cede sovereignty of Chagos/Diego Garcia to Mauritius – a closer neighbour (and aligned with China too) Maldives is pressing its claims to the islands.
“So UK withdrawal is not only harming the special relationship with the U.S. by undermining the strategically important base at Diego Garcia, but also triggering tensions between Maldives-Mauritius. Yet another reason this deal is not wise.”
For now, the Maldivian announcement adds an unexpected layer of diplomatic and legal tension to a long running dispute in the central Indian Ocean, with competing claims, tribunal rulings and strategic interests increasingly intersecting.
Read full article in the Maldives Republic here: https://mvrepublic.com/news/maldives-takes-control-of-northern-chagos-waters-rejects-itlos-ruling/
