The United Kingdom and Mauritius have pledged to finalise a treaty transferring control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as quickly as possible, according to a joint statement issued on Friday.
The treaty aims to secure the long-term operation of the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago.
Despite progress, concerns surfaced earlier this week when Mauritius’s new Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, expressed doubts about the draft agreement.
While reaffirming Mauritius’s willingness to finalise a deal, Ramgoolam argued the proposed terms would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect.
The agreement, announced in October after nearly two years of negotiations, marked a turning point in Britain’s approach to the sovereignty claims of Mauritius, a former colony.
Britain originally separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965, creating a military base on Diego Garcia leased to the United States. The move displaced thousands of Chagossians, who have since pursued compensation through British courts.
The base has played a pivotal role in US and UK military operations, including campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
However, the treaty’s future may face hurdles after MP Nigel Farage warned of very deep disquiet within US President-elect Donald Trump’s administration regarding Diego Garcia’s strategic role.
Despite this, both nations insist the final agreement will secure the base’s operation “well into the next century,” balancing military interests with Mauritius’s sovereignty claims.
The negotiations are being closely watched as they could set a precedent for addressing colonial-era disputes.
