A senior Mauritian government official has vowed to "decolonise" the Chagos Islands after the UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was forced to shelve legislation to hand the islands back to Mauritius. Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful, speaking at an Indian Ocean conference, stated that his government would spare no effort to regain control over the territory: "We will seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process. This is a matter of justice."
The legislation was shelved due to a lack of time in the current parliamentary session, which ends in the coming weeks, following a lack of support from US President Donald Trump. Trump had initially criticised the Chagos plan, telling Starmer he was "making a big mistake" by handing sovereignty to Mauritius in exchange for continued use of the airbase by the UK and US, but later offered qualified support. However, the UK was compelled to drop the bill after the US failed to provide approval by formally exchanging letters to amend a 1966 British-American treaty on the islands.
The Chagos Islands, officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, have been under UK control since the 19th century. In 2019, the International Court of Justice found that the UK unlawfully separated the islands from Mauritius before granting independence in 1968, with thousands of islanders forcibly deported to make way for the joint US-UK military base. The shelved deal, agreed with former US President Joe Biden, would have seen Britain cede sovereignty to Mauritius and pay approximately £35 billion to lease the airbase back for 99 years.
Prime Minister Starmer's administration faces challenges in implementing this plan amid strained relations with the US. A government spokesperson said: "Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is, and will continue to be, our priority—it is the entire reason for the deal. We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with US support."
Mauritius Attorney General Gavin Glover described the outcome as "not a surprise," blaming it on strained relations between Trump and Starmer. He noted that Mauritius plans to meet the British government on 22 April regarding the Chagos deal. Health Secretary Wes Streeting denied that the UK's agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands is moribund, acknowledging a shift in Washington's position but asserting that many in the US administration understand and support the deal's objectives.
Source: www.theguardian.com