New Mauritius gov’t questions Chagos archipelago deal with UK

The UK government has said it still sticks to the plan to hand over the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius even after the country’s new leader backed away from the contentious deal, arguing that it did not benefit his country enough.

London announced it will transfer the sovereignty over the contested Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important military base, to Mauritius, in line with an agreement between both sides signed in October. But British media have now reported that Mauritius’ new PM has submitted changes to a proposed deal over the future of the Chagos Islands. Under the deal, the UK-US naval and bomber base on the largest of the 60 islands, Diego Garcia, would remain under UK control for at least 99 years. But, since then, voters in Mauritius ousted the government that made the deal, replacing it with one led by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.

Ramgoolam told lawmakers he was reopening negotiations with the UK because the draft deal “would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect from such an agreement.” Britain’s minister of state for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, said he was confident the deal would be finalized, and it was “completely understandable that the new Mauritian government will want time to study the details.” The UK’s opposition Conservatives have accused the government of surrendering sovereignty over a British territory. The Chagos archipelago and the Diego Garcia base are strategically located in the Indian Ocean, and the West is fearful they could fall under the influence of a pro-China Mauritius administration.