Mauritius rejects Maldives' claims over Chagos Archipelago
via Le Mauricien2 min read
Mauritius has dismissed the Maldives' claims over the Chagos Archipelago, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office. Mauritius bases its position on three factors: the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion of February 25, 2019; United Nations General Assembly Resolution 73/295 of May 22, 2019; and the Anglo-Mauritian treaty on the restitution of the archipelago to Mauritius dated May 22, 2025. The Mauritian Attorney General's Office specifically denied that the Maldives has any lawful claim regarding the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. Mauritius asserts that its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago cannot be questioned by any state, citing international law, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea's judgments from January 28, 2021, and April 28, 2023, and the UN General Assembly's resolution. This statement follows the Maldives' welcoming of the United Kingdom's decision to pause the handover of the Chagos to Mauritius, with the Maldives suggesting this pause offers an opportunity to restart negotiations on the archipelago's future.
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