UK Reform Leader Nigel Farage has accused the Maldivian government of blocking his passage to the Chagos Islands.
The UK Parliamentarian is currently in an undisclosed location in the Maldives and said via a social media video that he had attempted to travel to the Chagos Islands in a bid to take supplies to four Chagossians who are attempting to establish a permanent base on a deserted island in the archipelago.
Farage said that the island, Île du Coin, is British territory now being settled by British citizens. However, he said that the British government is doing everything in its power to stop the settlement.
Farage said that the boat taking him to the island had to turn back and would now leave for the island without him. He said that the boat was taking medical supplies and humanitarian aid to the island. Farage said that he was hoping to join the mission, but now must get back to the UK for the by-election.
The UK Reform Leader went on to accuse the Maldivian government of blocking his passage to the island, saying that the British government was applying pressure on the Maldivian government to hinder his passage to the island.
The Chagos Islands have become a hot topic in recent weeks, with the Maldives, Mauritius, and the UK claiming ownership.
The establishment of the Diego Garcia military base saw about 2,000 people forcibly removed from the archipelago in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Britain currently owns the islands but signed a treaty last year to cede ownership to Mauritius.
