Trump agrees with UK’s Chagos sovereignty deal despite opposition
UK government sources say they are no longer waiting for further sign off from President Donald Trump who has supported the deal.
Negotiators are working with the Mauritian government to finalise the proposed treaty’s details, before it is presented to Parliament.
Under the deal Mauritius gains sovereignty of The Chagos Islands from the UK. And the UK and US are able to lease Diego Garcia, the military base, for 99 years.
According to the BBC, the Mauritian government has said it is "currently working to finalise this agreement" with the British government.
Opposition political party leaders from the Conservative Party and Reform have opposed the deal.
How much the Diego Garcia lease will cost the UK will be known after the treaty has been finalised, according to reports.
On their Facebook page, Chagossian organisation Chagossian Voices say “We remain opposed to the deal, which was struck without Chagossian involvement, cedes Chagossian rights of return and self determination to Mauritius and makes return to Diego Garcia impossible.”
BIOT Citizen, another Chagossian organisation, state “It’s disheartening to see that the injustices of the past persist, with the Chagossian right to self-determination still unacknowledged.”
THE CHAGOS FILES has contacted No. 10 for comment.
Tessa Clarke & Alexia Psalti/3 April 2025