Chagos-Maldives territorial dispute: Pres. expresses disapproval of deliberate attempts to mislead the public

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has expressed his disapproval of deliberate attempts to mislead the public and create strife for political gain, involving the territorial dispute between the Maldives and the Chagos Islands.

President Solih made the statement while speaking at the special ceremony to commemorate the day the Maldives embraced Islam on Wednesday.

Taking the podium at the ceremony, the President spoke about efforts by some to mislead the public about the ongoing dispute concerning the delimitation of the maritime border between the Maldives and Mauritius. The President said efforts to settle the dispute had been going on for far too long and an agreement on the matter had been reached with the United Kingdom back in 1992.

The President noted that deliberations later progressed on the matter between the Maldives and Mauritius in 2011. He added that previous governments had in the past carried forward negotiations on the matter with different parties.

The President stated that his administration is seeking a resolution to the dispute concerning the delimitation of the maritime border at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and not with any specific country. He assured that the administration is acting in the best interests of the country.

The President also reaffirmed that his administration is committed to ensuring the independence and sovereignty of the country. He also noted that the Constitution stipulates Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and how to settle disputes over our maritime borders.

The case of territorial dispute over the area between the Maldives and Chagos Archipelago, was filed by Mauritius to International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITOLS). This is different from the dispute between Mauritius and United Kingdom over the archipelago.

The administration has stated that the country will not be ceding over any of its territory.

Chagos Archipelago comprises of seven atolls with more than 60 islands. The archipelago is located about 500 kilometers south of the Maldives.