"Even after a year, Cabinet yet to receive maritime report”

Although President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu asserted that part of the Maldives' maritime territory has been lost and that efforts will be made to reclaim the region, he is now claiming that the matter is still in the “research phase”.

After evading journalists for months, President Muizzu met with the press on Saturday.

During Saturday’s presser at the President’s Office, Muizzu shared the latest updates on the work done by the government so far.

Appealing the ruling of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) was one of his major presidential pledges. As such, he had promised to appeal the case at ITLOS within the first 100 days of his administration.

The presentation Muizzu gave at the press conference noted that advice has been received from appointed international experts for the work. It was also revealed that after the Attorney General's Office studies the advice, it will be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers to decide on how to proceed in the matter.

In addition to this, it was noted that experts have said there are challenges in reclaiming the relinquished area due to a letter sent by the previous administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Prime Minister of Mauritius at the time.

While the letter sent by the former administration to the Prime Minister of Mauritius has been leaked on social media, it was noted at the time that the letter did not mention relinquishing any part of the Maldives' maritime territory. Further, the Law Review Committee (LRC) of the Bar Council had concluded that no part of the Maldives' maritime territory was lost due to said letter.

At a press conference on 6 March 2024, Attorney General Ahmed Usham stated that the report would be submitted to the Cabinet “very soon.” However, more than a year later, the report has yet to be presented.

Further, Muizzu's presentation highlighted that work is ongoing to seek advice from foreign experts regarding the potential impact of the recent decision made by the United Kingdom concerning Chagos.

On 3 October 2024, the UK government decided to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Yet, seven months later, the Maldivian government has still not sought advice from foreign experts.

During his presidential campaign, Muizzu repeatedly criticized the former administration for allegedly surrendering part of the Maldives' maritime territory in the Chagos dispute. He also pledged to reclaim the area for the Maldives if elected.