UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to move forward with a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite growing concerns from the United States over China’s influence in the region, The Times UK has reported.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam stated that the new agreement significantly expands on previous offers, granting Mauritius “complete sovereignty” over Diego Garcia, home to a vital U.S. military base. The deal, which he called Africa’s “last decolonisation,” also includes major financial concessions, effectively doubling the original £9 billion offer.
Speaking in Mauritius’ parliament, Ramgoolam revealed that Starmer had reaffirmed his commitment to finalizing the agreement. “The British prime minister informed me he intends to push ahead with the agreement reached between Mauritius and the United Kingdom,” he said. “We remain confident it will reach a speedy resolution in the coming weeks.”
The Chagos archipelago, a British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, has been at the center of a long-standing sovereignty dispute. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding advisory opinion stating that the islands should be handed over to Mauritius. Fearing that continued British control could breach international law, Starmer announced plans in October to transfer sovereignty.
However, negotiations were briefly paused last month following pressure from the Trump administration, which has expressed concerns over China’s growing presence in Mauritius. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the issue in his first call with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, warning of Beijing’s “malign influence.” Echoing these concerns, Starmer reassured his Mauritian counterpart last Friday that Diego Garcia needed to be protected from foreign interference.
The new deal, according to Ramgoolam, offers Mauritius greater control than the previous agreement signed under his predecessor. It allows Mauritius to veto an automatic 40-year extension of the UK’s lease on Diego Garcia and ensures that Britain’s payments are frontloaded and indexed to inflation—effectively increasing the total compensation.
“They had agreed to a package for 99 years, but not inflation-proof,” Ramgoolam explained, criticizing the old terms. “The exchange rate — because it’s in dollars — would be fixed once and then last 99 years. How can that be?”
Despite American apprehensions, Ramgoolam remained confident that the deal would proceed, downplaying speculation that Trump’s return to office could derail the agreement. “Why are we afraid of President Trump coming to us? As if he would tear [up] the agreement. In fact, it was a bit better to let him have a look,” he told Mauritian lawmakers.
The latest round of negotiations took place in London on January 16-17, with UK Attorney General Lord Hermer and his Mauritian counterpart Gavin Glover leading discussions. While the final details are still being worked out, Starmer appears determined to push the deal through, marking a significant shift in Britain’s approach to the Chagos dispute.
