Mauritius Requests Review of Chagos Islands Agreement with UK

The recently appointed Prime Minister of Mauritius has requested an independent examination of an agreement concerning the Chagos Islands’ future with the United Kingdom. This pending agreement stipulates that the UK would cede its sovereign claim over the archipelago while retaining a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, which hosts a significant UK-US military airbase. On Thursday, a representative for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that Navin Ramgoolam had “indicated he was open” to this landmark agreement. Ramgoolam, who assumed the premiership of Mauritius two weeks prior, informed the Mauritian parliament that he had requested a review, and its conclusions would be evaluated by the cabinet. Upon the agreement’s signing, following extensive negotiations over several years, Sir Keir and his Mauritian counterpart at the time, Pravind Jugnauth, characterized it as a “seminal moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law”. However, during his election campaign, Ramgoolam and his associates within the Change coalition labeled the accord a “sell-out,” asserting it was driven by pre-election desperation. Arvin Boolell, who recently became the minister of agro-industry and fisheries, elaborated on these objections in his remarks on Monday. He criticized the previous prime minister for allowing the UK an extended lease on Diego Garcia, stating it was for 200 years, despite the publicly announced duration being an initial 99-year period. The Change coalition is not alone in expressing concerns about the agreement; Marco Rubio, US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, stated in October that the deal presented a “serious threat” to US national security by transferring the islands to a nation allied with China. Additionally, certain organizations advocating for Chagossian interests have voiced apprehension, claiming their exclusion from the negotiation process. The British prime minister and his Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, have defended the accord, characterizing it as a “good deal.” “I’m very, very confident that this is a deal that the Mauritians will see, in a cross-party sense, as a good deal for them,” Lammy stated on Thursday. The agreement remains contingent on the completion of a treaty. The specifics of the treaty’s legal wording are currently being developed, and it is anticipated to be presented to the UK Parliament for examination next year. For additional news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, or on Instagram at bbcafrica. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.