Mauritius has announced modifications to a proposed agreement concerning the future of the Chagos Islands, with the new Prime Minister stating that the original deal did not adequately benefit the country.
Under the initial terms, announced in October, the UK would transfer sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, where a significant UK-US military base is located.
This agreement was finalised shortly before a general election, in which then-Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth was overwhelmingly defeated. His successor, Navin Ramgoolam, has expressed reservations about the deal, which has also faced criticism from the UK’s Conservative Party and members of the incoming Trump administration in the US.
Upon the deal’s announcement, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Jugnauth hailed it as a “seminal moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law”. The British government also stated that the deal “protects the long-term secure operation” of the base.
After taking office last month, Ramgoolam requested a review of the agreement by legal experts. Addressing the Mauritian parliament on Tuesday, he stated that his government had submitted counter-proposals to ensure the final agreement aligned with national interests. Ramgoolam did not detail the counter-proposals or specify the objections. He confirmed that the UK’s response to these proposals, received on Monday, is currently under review.
A UK delegation, led by Harriet Mathews, Director General for Africa, the Americas, and Overseas Territories at the Foreign Office, visited Mauritius last week. Accompanied by British High Commissioner Charlotte Pierre, Mathews met with Ramgoolam on 11 December to advance the negotiations.
“We remain confident the agreement is in both sides interests and will continue to work with the new Mauritius government to finalise the deal. We’ve always said we’ll engage with the new administration in order to finalise the deal,” said a spokesperson for Sir Keir, adding that there was no set timeline.
The UK’s claim to the British Indian Ocean Territory has faced increasing diplomatic isolation, with various United Nations bodies siding with Mauritius and demanding the UK surrender what some have called its “last colony in Africa”. Mauritius argues it was illegally forced to cede the Chagos Islands in exchange for independence from the UK in 1968. At that time, the British government had secretly agreed to lease Diego Garcia to the US for military use.
The UK later apologised for forcibly removing over 1,000 islanders and promised to return the islands to Mauritius when they were no longer needed for strategic purposes. Until recently, the UK maintained that Mauritius had no legitimate claim to the islands.
Frances Ibiefo
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