60 Years On, Chagos Remains Severed: Sovereignty Not Yet Restored

PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Malé, Maldives
26 July 2025

60 Years On: Maldivian Independence Remains Incomplete

Sixty years ago today, the Maldives signed its Independence Agreement with the United Kingdom. But as our flag rose, a part of our homeland was silently severed.

Chagos, our southern atoll, once known to our ancestors as Kendhoo Atoll, was stolen from us. This atoll, with its rich fishing grounds and strategic location, is not just a part of our history, but also a vital part of our future.

First, by France, which falsely declared it terra nullius- “empty land” -despite centuries of continuous Maldivian use. Then by Britain, which excised Chagos in 1965, just days before our independence, and kept it under colonial grip. And now, in a final betrayal, the Chagos Islands have been handed over to Mauritius, a country with no ancestral, cultural, or historical connection to the archipelago.

The celebration of today as Independence Day is a testament to the injustices of colonialism. For centuries, Maldivians sailed the Indian Ocean to fish, plant, harvest, and bury their dead in Chagos. The evidence remains: gravestones inscribed in Dhivehi script, ancient coconut groves, and the enduring memories of our communities. Mauritius has none of this – only a courtroom paper trail. No people. No past. No right.

This imposed handover is illegitimate. The Chagos Islands are part of Maldivian territory, and no international agreement can alter that fact.

We call upon:

The Government of the Maldives – Please raise this matter before the United Nations. History does not hesitate: Chagos belongs to the Maldives. We urge you to take immediate action to assert our rightful ownership of the Chagos Islands.

The People’s Majlis – Acknowledge, without equivocation, that our independence is incomplete so long as Chagos remains detached.

The Judiciary and Legal Community – Assemble your arguments. Chagos isn’t merely a conflict; it’s an assertion of territory.

Every Maldivian must grasp this truth: colonial powers breached our borders, undermined our Sovereignty, and left our duty of restoration unfinished.

The Chagos question is not a bilateral dispute between the United Kingdom and its post-colonial proxy, Mauritius. It is a matter of Maldivian territorial integrity, an unresolved conflict stemming from the UN C-24’s failure to ensure the complete and final decolonisation of the Maldives. Chagos remains an integral part of our historical and sovereign domain.

Until the UK returns the Chagos Islands, we should view 26 July not as a day of celebration, but as a moment for reflection and accountability.

Issued by:

Maldivians for Chagos
admin@maldivians4chagos.com
http://www.maldivians4chagos.com
X / Twitter: @MaldivianChagos