Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, originally belonged to the Maldives
- Ibrahim Rasheed
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
The Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia: A Case of Misguided Decolonization
The Chagos Archipelago, a remote cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean, has long been a focal point of geopolitical contention, colonial history, and competing sovereignty claims. At the heart of this debate lies a fundamental question: who has the rightful historical claim to these islands, particularly the strategically significant Diego Garcia? While the United Kingdom’s recent agreement on May 22, 2025, to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius—under the banner of decolonization—has been hailed as a progressive step, argues that the move is a misapplication of the decolonization principle. Historical, geographical, and cultural evidence strongly suggests that the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, originally belonged to the Maldives, not Mauritius. Transferring sovereignty to Mauritius, a former French and British colony, does not align with the true spirit of decolonization, which should prioritize returning territories to their original pre-colonial stewards—in this case, the Maldives.
Historical Context: The Maldivian Connection to the Chagos Archipelago
The Maldives, a nation with a history of human habitation spanning over 2,500 years, has long claimed the Chagos Archipelago as part of its natural and historical domain. Known in the Dhivehi language as Foalhavahi, the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, lies just 500 kilometers south of the Maldives, making it a natural extension of the Maldivian archipelago’s geographical and cultural sphere. Historical documents and oral traditions provide compelling evidence of the Maldives’ pre-colonial connection to these islands. A pivotal piece of evidence is a document from 1561, attributed to King Hassan IX of the Maldives, which explicitly claims Foalhavahi as part of the Maldivian archipelago. This claim is further supported by Maldivian historical chronicles, such as the Tarikh, which describe interactions between Maldivian seafarers and Chagos communities, using the islands as navigational waypoints and fishing grounds.
Additionally, historical maps from the 1500s and accounts by Arab navigator Ahmad Ibn Majid detail maritime routes connecting the Maldives to the Chagos, including the Peros Banhos atoll, reinforcing the Maldives’ longstanding presence in the region.
Foalhavahi and other Maldivian atolls, such as FoaMulak Atoll near Addu Atoll, further underscores the cultural and historical ties. These records and traditions demonstrate that the Maldives exercised influence over the Chagos Archipelago long before European colonial powers arrived.
Colonial Interference: French and British Exploitation
The Chagos Archipelago’s trajectory changed dramatically with the arrival of European colonial powers. On December 26, 1773, the French colonized Foalhavahi (the Chagos Archipelago), including Diego Garcia, establishing coconut plantations for copra production. At this time, the Maldives was under the rule of the Sultanate during the Dhiyamigili dynasty, and the Chagos was considered part of its maritime domain. However, the French, who also controlled Mauritius (then known as Isle de France), administered the Chagos as part of their broader Indian Ocean possessions. Following the Napoleonic Wars, the 1814 Treaty of Paris transferred control of both Mauritius and the Chagos Archipelago to the United Kingdom.
Under British rule, the Chagos Archipelago continued to be administered through Mauritius, a practice that persisted until 1965. In that year, the UK separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, creating the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and purchasing the islands for £3 million. This move was driven by strategic interests, particularly the establishment of a U.S. military base on Diego Garcia, which remains a critical asset to this day. The Chagossian population, many of whom were descendants of Maldivian seafarers and laborers brought by the French, were forcibly expelled—a decision later described by Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth
as "akin to a crime against humanity."
The 2025 UK-Mauritius Agreement: A Flawed Approach to Decolonization
On May 22, 2025, the UK and Mauritius signed an agreement transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back to the UK for £101 million annually. This decision was framed as a step toward decolonization, ostensibly fulfilling the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and UN General Assembly resolutions that called for the UK to end its administration of the Chagos and return the islands to Mauritius. However, this transfer raises significant questions about the true meaning of decolonization.
Decolonization, at its core, is about rectifying the injustices of colonial rule by restoring territories to their pre-colonial stewards or rightful owners, ensuring self-determination for the people most connected to the land. Mauritius’ claim to the Chagos Archipelago is rooted in its colonial history as the administrative hub under French and British rule, not in a pre-colonial historical connection. Mauritius, which gained independence in 1968, was itself a colonial construct, with no documented pre-colonial ties to the Chagos Archipelago. In contrast, the Maldives has a deep historical, cultural, and geographical connection to the islands, predating European colonization by centuries.
The Maldives’ claim is further complicated by its own position during the colonial era. As a British protectorate from 1887 to 1965, the Maldives lacked the political agency to assert its claim against the UK’s actions in 1965. However, this does not negate the Maldives’ historical rights. In December 2024, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu sent a letter to the UK asserting the Maldives’ claim to the Chagos, a move that followed criticism from the Democrats Party of the Maldives for the government’s earlier inaction. Despite these efforts, the UK-Mauritius agreement proceeded without considering the Maldives’ historical evidence, effectively sidelining a more legitimate claimant in favor of a colonial-era administrative arrangement.
Why the Chagos Archipelago Should Belong to the Maldives
If decolonization is to be applied justly, the Chagos Archipelago should be returned to the Maldives, the entity with the strongest pre-colonial claim. The Maldives’ proximity to the Chagos—500 kilometers compared to Mauritius’ 2,200 kilometers—makes it a more logical steward from a geographical and ecological perspective. The shared coral reef structures, marine biodiversity, and historical fishing practices between the Maldives and the Chagos further support this argument. Moreover, the Maldives’ long history as a maritime nation, with documented interactions with the Chagos dating back centuries, establishes a cultural and historical continuity that Mauritius cannot claim.
The argument that Mauritius should inherit the Chagos because it was administered as part of Mauritius during colonial rule is a perpetuation of colonial logic, not a rejection of it. True decolonization would prioritize pre-colonial histories and the rights of indigenous or historically connected peoples over administrative boundaries drawn by colonial powers. By transferring the Chagos to Mauritius, the UK is not decolonizing the territory but rather reinforcing a colonial framework that arbitrarily linked the Chagos to Mauritius in the first place.
Geopolitical Implications and the Need for Regional Cooperation
The UK’s decision to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while retaining control of Diego Garcia through a lease agreement also highlights the geopolitical motivations at play. Diego Garcia’s strategic importance as a U.S. military base has long shaped the UK’s approach to the Chagos Archipelago, and the 2025 agreement ensures that this military presence remains undisturbed. However, this arrangement ignores the broader regional dynamics, including the Maldives’ legitimate claims and the need for cooperative governance in the Indian Ocean.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has emphasized the importance of marine conservation in the region, noting the depletion of Indian Ocean fish stocks and praising the UK’s efforts to protect the Chagos’ marine environment. A truly decolonial approach would involve the Maldives in the governance of the Chagos Archipelago, ensuring that the region’s ecological and cultural heritage is preserved through regional cooperation. The Maldives, with its deep historical ties to the Chagos, is better positioned than Mauritius to lead such efforts in partnership with international stakeholders.
Conclusion
The transfer of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius under the guise of decolonization is a misstep that fails to address the territory’s pre-colonial history and rightful ownership. The Maldives, with its documented historical claims dating back to at least 1561, its geographical proximity, and its cultural ties to the Chagos, is the rightful steward of these islands. True decolonization would prioritize the restoration of the Chagos Archipelago to the Maldives, undoing the colonial disruptions that began with French colonization in 1773 and continued under British rule. By favoring Mauritius, a former colony with no pre-colonial connection to the Chagos, the UK has perpetuated a colonial framework rather than dismantling it. The international community must recognize the Maldives’ historical rights and advocate for a resolution that aligns with the principles of justice, self-determination, and true decolonization. Only then can the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, be returned to its rightful place within the Maldivian archipelago.
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