The future of Britain’s last territory in the Indian Ocean and Africa hangs in the balance as Donald Trump weighs a deal to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The agreement would end decades of British control while keeping the U.S.-UK military base at Diego Garcia.
“If the deal isn’t signed, we will continue our fight,” declared Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. The struggle “began in 1965, to ensure the Chagos archipelago regains Mauritian sovereignty.” The announcement came as Trump took office on 20 January.
Britain’s Labour government hoped to complete the handover before Trump’s presidency began. Yet Trump’s team told Britain to wait, citing worries about Chinese power in the Indian Ocean. The move forced Keir Starmer to pause what would have been his first big foreign policy win.
Chinese Military Fears Drive U.S. Response
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes giving up the islands puts U.S. defence at risk. Mauritius has trade deals with China, though Ramgoolam insists his country, made up of forty-six percent Indo-Mauritians, stands with a U.S. partner: “Claiming Mauritius is close to China [is] entirely false. Mauritius is aligned with India, not China[…] This agreement secures the American base at Diego Garcia.” The base at Diego Garcia supported U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11.
Under the new deal, Britain would pay £9 billion over ten years to keep using it. Yet, recent talks hint at Mauritius wanting more money.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy backs the plan. “But having gone through the deal in detail it is the right deal to keep the global community safe,” Lammy told BBC Radio 4. “I emphasise the importance of that military base and those assets on Diego Garcia that we have been working together with the United States now for all of my lifetime.”
Displaced People Await Their Return
Britain forced out over 1,000 Chagossians in 1965 to build the base. Today, these families live scattered across Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the British town of Crawley. The United Nations’ International Court of Justice called their removal unlawful.
The deal lets Chagossians return to outer islands but blocks access to Diego Garcia. Some islanders say nobody asked their views during talks.
Mauritius claims Britain pressured its first Prime Minister, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, to give up the islands in exchange for independence. The current agreement tries to right this past wrong while keeping Western military presence in the Indian Ocean.
Other Territories Face Similar Pressures
As Trump returns, other British territories face uncertainty. Spain and Britain’s Gibraltar talks might stall under Trump, reports suggest. Gibraltar has started filling old war tunnels with medical supplies, ready for possible border problems.
Such places – the Chagos Islands, Greenland, Panama, Gibraltar – sit at the crossroads of maritime trade and military operations. Each territories’ status may spark fresh disputes as nations vie for control of these strategic spots.
China’s growing reach worries Western powers. Since 2017, China has built a military base in Djibouti and sealed a trade deal with Mauritius. These moves fuel U.S. fears about losing any grip on major sea routes.
Yet for hundreds of Chagossians, a deal means the difference between returning home or staying in exile. Starmer understandably needs Trump’s review, but it’s unfortunate to depend on what America tells Britain, lamented Mauritian Attorney General Gavin Glover.
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