LONDON — The British government affirmed on Wednesday its intentions to transfer the disputed Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, despite the new Mauritian administration reconsidering the agreement. This archipelago is particularly notable for housing a crucial military base.
In October, the U.K. and Mauritius had reached a preliminary agreement regarding the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, a collection of over 60 islands situated just south of the equator near India. The arrangement stipulated that the United Kingdom would retain control of the U.K.-U.S. naval and aerial military base located on the largest of these islands, Diego Garcia, for a minimum of 99 years.
When the initial announcement was made, the Labour Party government of Britain highlighted that discussions with the Mauritian government were nearing completion with respect to the treaty. However, since that time, Mauritius experienced a change in leadership, resulting in the ousting of the previous government that had endorsed the deal, with Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam stepping into leadership.
Ramgoolam indicated he would be reopening discussions around the agreement, arguing that the draft terms “would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect.” During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, he emphasized that his administration remains open to finalizing an arrangement with the United Kingdom and has put forward alternative proposals for consideration.
Stephen Doughty, the British Foreign Office Minister, expressed optimism that the agreement would ultimately be completed, acknowledging that a newly elected Mauritian government would require time to thoroughly assess the agreement’s specifics. “I am confident that we have settled on a sound and equitable deal that serves both parties’ interests,” he asserted during a session in the House of Commons, highlighting that it offers effective protection for the base at a reasonable cost and is backed by national security establishments in the U.S. and India.
Meanwhile, the Conservative opposition in the U.K. has criticized the current government’s approach, suggesting that it amounts to yielding sovereignty over British territories. The deal was celebrated by U.S. President Joe Biden as a “historic agreement,” which ensured the future operations of the Diego Garcia military base; however, it faced backlash from supporters of former President Donald Trump.
British politician Nigel Farage, known for his alignment with Trump, expressed concern that incoming Trump officials harbor significant unease regarding the implications of the agreement for the long-term status of Diego Garcia.
The Chagos Islands, one of the final vestiges of the British Empire, have been under British dominance since 1814. In the 1960s and 1970s, approximately 2,000 residents were forcibly removed to allow for the establishment of the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia, which has facilitated American military operations in zones ranging from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. Notably, in 2008, the U.S. acknowledged that the base had been used for covert rendition flights involving terror suspects.
Considered “an almost essential platform” for security initiatives across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa, the base currently accommodates around 2,500 personnel, predominantly American. The displaced Chagossians have long sought legal recourse in UK courts to reclaim their right to return home, and the deal may allow them and their descendants the opportunity to return to the islands, excluding access to Diego Garcia.
Mauritius, situated east of Madagascar in southern Africa, lies approximately 2,100 kilometers (1,250 miles) southwest of the Chagos Islands.