The UK government is reviewing its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after US President Donald Trump renewed his opposition to the deal.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the agreement, in its current form, could not move forward without US support. He said Britain now needs to work with Washington and Mauritius to find an arrangement that protects the future of the strategic Diego Garcia military base.
The review follows Trump’s criticism of the agreement during his meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump described the deal as “terrible” and indicated that the UK would reconsider it.
Streeting told the BBC that Trump’s position had become clear and that Britain therefore had to reassess the agreement.
Diego Garcia at the Centre of the Dispute
The Chagos Islands are strategically important because they include Diego Garcia, which hosts a major joint UK-US military facility in the Indian Ocean.
Under the agreement negotiated by the previous UK government, Britain would transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. In return, the UK and US would retain access to the Diego Garcia base through a long-term lease.
The original arrangement provided for a 99-year lease. The UK government previously estimated the overall cost at about £3.4 billion.
Streeting said securing the long-term future of Diego Garcia remains the central priority. He described the base as one of Britain’s most important national security assets.
The UK government has argued that resolving the sovereignty dispute would provide greater legal certainty for the military facility.
Burnham Seeks a New Agreement
Burnham said after his meeting with Trump that he had inherited the issue and that the government needed to find a solution acceptable to the parties involved.
He also stressed that protecting the future of Diego Garcia was important for both British and American security.
Before travelling to New York, Burnham spoke with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. The UK government said Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to continuing efforts with Mauritius and the United States.
However, the latest review reflects the difficulty of securing US backing for the existing terms. Reuters reported that the legislative process needed to implement the handover has already been delayed because of American objections.
Payments to Mauritius Put on Hold
Streeting said no money would be handed to Mauritius at this stage while officials reconsider the agreement.
The review is not expected to follow a fixed timetable or operate as a formal process with a specific deadline.
Government sources have stressed that the UK’s broader position has not fundamentally changed. However, Streeting’s comments make clear that the current version of the agreement does not have the US support needed for it to proceed.
The government is now seeking changes that could secure support from Britain, Mauritius and the United States.
Chagos Sovereignty Dispute
The dispute over the Chagos Islands dates back decades.
Britain separated the islands from Mauritius in 1965, shortly before Mauritius became independent. Mauritius has long argued that the separation was unlawful.
In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion saying Britain’s administration of the Chagos Islands should end as rapidly as possible. The opinion was non-binding but was subsequently backed by the UN General Assembly.
The ruling helped push Britain and Mauritius towards formal negotiations, which eventually produced the agreement now under review.
The future of the deal remains uncertain as London attempts to balance Mauritius’s sovereignty claim with the strategic importance of Diego Garcia and the concerns of its main military ally, the United States.
