Former Home Minister Umar Naseer has assured that the next administration will undertake efforts to reclaim Chagos archipelago for Maldivian citizens.

Opposition PPM-PNC coalition, ‘The Democrats’, a faction formed within main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which has now filed for registration as a new political party, and Maldives National Party (MNP) has formed an alliance in light of their mutual disagreement with how the conflicting maritime territory between the Maldives and Mauritius have been delimited.

Speaking at a mass rally held by the opposition alliance in the Carnival area on Friday night – Umar said one thing has been learned through the border dispute, which is who the Chagos archipelago belongs to.

“We Maldivians clearly know now that Chagos belongs to us. That we should not give up this place. What we assure you is, by the will of God, the next administration will claim sovereignty over Chagos. Will take Chagos to the Maldivian state,” he said.

Underscoring people began living in Mauritius located near Chagos in 1598, Umar said Maldivians had started living in the Maldives way before that.  

“Therewith, a country named Mauritius that was incepted much later, does not have any right to claim sovereignty over Chagos,” he added.

Henceforth, Umar pledged to work on reclaiming Chagos for the Maldives.

Umar claimed that Maldivians were living in Chagos when the archipelago was colonized by the French. Noting they were based at Chagos for work, he said they fled to Addu and Fuvahmulah subsequent to the colonization.

“Once decolonized, the place should be handed over to those who were living at the place at the time of colonization. They were Maldivians. Maldivians were chased off that day,” he said.

Umar exampled his statement with neighboring India and Sri Lanka. He detailed that when both nations decolonized, they were handed over to the people of the respective nations. Thus, Umar said the colonizers should have handed over Chagos to Maldivians when they left.

Umar, who is contesting the upcoming presidential election, said the maritime territory Maldives lost will be reclaimed.

Despite these claims by Umar alongside the opposition alliance, former foreign minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed said Maldivian government’s policy with respect to the Chagos archipelago had been to recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the islands.