President Mohamed Muizzu has decided to set up a presidential commission to investigate the officials who defended the Maldives' interests, as Mauritius sought sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
In his third presidential address delivered at the opening session of the People's Majlis this morning (February 5), Muizzu said the former government's stand on the issue had caused serious damage to the Maldives.
"The international experts appointed in the case have advised that some decisions taken by the previous government have caused irreparable damage to the country," Muizzu said, announcing the formation of an inquiry commission.
Chagos is a British military base. Britain agreed last year to hand over sovereignty to Mauritius. Mauritius claims sovereignty over Chagos because about 2,000 Chagossians were sent to Mauritius to build the military base.
In 2021, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) ruled that the UK does not have sovereignty over the Chagos. At the time, ITLOS also demarcated the Maldives' border to the south.
Some historical documents mention that former Maldivian Sultans included the Chagos Islands under the Maldives.
The UK agreed to give Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos and to lease the land for the military base for USD 100 million a year. US President Donald Trump recently criticised the deal.
In an interview with the US Newsweek Magazine, Muizzu said the Maldives government would propose to the parliament to maintain the status quo if the Chagos Islands were handed over to the Maldives.
