Maldives sends missile boat to Britain’s disputed Chagos Islands | Politics | News | EUROtoday

The Maldives has despatched a missile-boat to British waters off the Chagos Islands, signalling its intent to state its declare to the territory Keir Starmer is planning to disclose to Mauritius.

The fast-attack craft armed with missiles and two kinds of heavy cannon, was dispatched to Chagos on what the Maldives navy describes as a “special surveillance operation”. The gunboat is accompanied by a squadron of Maldives National Defence Force Air Corps surveillance drones.

Several overseas vessels have already been intercepted by the ship.

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has formally rejected the UK’s settlement to switch sovereignty of Chagos to Mauritius, along with your entire authorized foundation of Keir Starmer’s proposal.

He has known as the deal “reckless” and an infringement on Maldivian territorial integrity and he has asserted that historic and archaeological proof proves Chagos is an integral a part of the Maldives, with no hyperlinks to Mauritius.

Male, the capital of the Maldives, is about 310 miles from the Chagos Islands. Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, lies about 1,300 miles from the Chagos Islands.

President Muizzu has additionally mentioned if the Maldives is granted sovereignty over Chagos, it should permit the strategically essential US Navy base at Diego Garcia to proceed operations beneath the identical phrases as right this moment.

Keir Starmer’s UK–Mauritius treaty signed in May 2025 – has confronted fierce criticism not just for ceding very important British territory however for leaving British taxpayers with a invoice estimated at £35 billion, with some projections operating as excessive as £80 billion.

As completely revealed by categorical.co.uk the Maldives’ authorized problem may derail the entire course of, and the addition of gun-boat diplomacy raises the stakes even additional.

President Mohamed Muizzu mentioned: “The Maldives has historical connections to the Chagos Islands – known to us as Foalhavahi – which lie south of Maldivian waters. These connections are based on documented evidence, and we believe gives the Maldives a greater claim than any other country.”

The Maldives Ministry of Defence mentioned the present “special operation” was supposed to watch and shield maritime zones that the federal government considers a part of the Maldives’ unique financial zone (EEZ).

Just days in the past President Muizzu rejected a 2023 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling that principally awarded the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

A earlier Maldives administration accepted the ruling, however after taking authorized and political recommendation President Muizzu has overruled the sooner discovering – which was solely ever a non-binding advisory opinion.

Muizzu cited the Maldives Constitution and the Maritime Zones Act because the authorized foundation for his navy operations, which he mentioned had been to guard its territorial integrity and maritime zones.

A spokesman for the Maldives Ministry of Defence cited Article 115(d) of the Constitution, which assigns the president accountability for safeguarding nationwide independence and territorial integrity. They additionally referenced Article 243, the Armed Forces Act, and the Maldives Maritime Zones Act as offering the authorized foundation for continued navy monitoring and safety of maritime areas, together with the EEZ.

However, officers harassed that the MNDF is conducting “surveillance” inside what the federal government defines as Maldivian maritime zones moderately than endeavor offensive navy motion.

Keir Starmer’s Government maintains that the Chagos situation is a bilateral matter between London and Mauritius, whereas the United Nations and the International Court of Justice have beforehand recognised Mauritius because the rightful sovereign.

The Foreign Office has been contacted for a remark.