In 2025, the UK and Mauritius finalized an agreement regarding the Chagos Islands, after months of negotiations and some delays .
Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
- Sovereignty: The UK is ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius .
- Air Base: The agreement allows the UK to retain control of the strategically important U.S.-UK air base on Diego Garcia . This will be under a 99-year lease . There is also an option for a 50-year extension, with the UK maintaining the right of first refusal thereafter .
- Financial Component: As part of the deal, Britain will pay Mauritius 3 billion pounds over the 99-year term .
- Strategic Importance: The UK emphasizes the importance of the base for its security interests, including deploying aircraft to combat terrorists and anticipating threats .
- US Support: The United States supports the agreement, recognizing the importance of the military facility on Diego Garcia .
- Chagossians: The deal has faced legal challenges, including from British nationals born in the Chagos Islands who argue that Chagossians have been excluded from the agreement .
- Opposition: Some political figures have criticized the deal as costly and potentially beneficial to China’s influence in the Indian Ocean .
- Background: Mauritius has long claimed that it was forced to give up the Chagos Islands in exchange for independence in 1968 . Various United Nations bodies have sided with Mauritius’s sovereignty claims in recent years .For world news click www.eminentnews.com
