The new Prime Minister of Mauritius has expressed reservations about the UK’s deal to give up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in exchange for a long-term lease on Diego Garcia, home to a joint UK-US military base. The dispute centers around the islands’ status and the UK’s handling of negotiations.
International Reactions
The UK’s commitment to the Falklands is described as “unwavering”, despite the Chagos deal. However, the US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration may face opposition from Marco Rubio, who has described the agreement as a threat to US security.
Recent Developments
In recent years, the UK has faced rising diplomatic isolation over its claim to the Chagos Islands. Various United Nations bodies have sided with Mauritius, demanding that the UK surrender what some have called “its last colony in Africa”.
The government of Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally forced to give up the islands in return for independence.
The Current Deal
The current deal between the UK and Mauritius involves the UK giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, but leasing Diego Garcia, home to a joint UK-US military base, for at least 99 years. However, Arvin Boolell, the newly appointed minister of agro-industry and fisheries, has criticized the former prime minister for granting the UK a long lease over Diego Garcia, saying it was actually 200 years.
Reactions from Various Parties
The new Prime Minister, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, expressed his doubts about the agreement after meeting Jonathan Powell, the UK’s national security adviser. Mr. Powell said that negotiations would continue and both sides agreed to reconvene in Mauritius in two weeks to report their progress.
Some groups representing the interests of Chagossians have also expressed disquiet, saying they were excluded from the negotiations. The opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of not knowing “how to defend our national interests” in its handling of the negotiations.
International Pressure
The UK has faced rising diplomatic isolation over its claim to the British Indian Ocean Territory, with various United Nations bodies siding with Mauritius and demanding that the UK surrender what some have called its “last colony in Africa”.
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Background on the Dispute
The Chagos Islands are a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean, strategically important for its military base. The dispute between the UK and Mauritius began in 1968 when Mauritius gained independence from the UK in exchange for giving up sovereignty over the islands.
The UK had already negotiated a secret deal with the US to lease Diego Garcia, the largest atoll in the Chagos Islands, as a military base. The British government later apologized for forcibly removing over 1,000 islanders from the entire archipelago and promised to hand the islands back to Mauritius when they were no longer needed for strategic purposes.
The dispute centers around the Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean that is home to a joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The UK has claimed sovereignty over the islands, but Mauritius argues that it was illegally forced to give them away in return for its own independence from the UK in 1968.
Details of the Deal
The deal agreed upon last month involves the UK giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, although it would lease Diego Garcia for at least 99 years. However, a cabinet minister has stated that there are problems with the lease arrangement, and Prime Minister Ramgoolam has not outlined the exact issues he has with the deal.
Objections to the Deal
Arvin Boolell, the newly appointed minister of agro-industry and fisheries, has been more specific about the objections in his comments on Monday. He criticized the former prime minister for granting the UK a long lease over Diego Garcia – stating it was 200 years, though the publicized timeframe was an initial period of 99 years.
