In a contentious move, the United Kingdom has agreed to transfer control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a decision that has drawn the ire of former US President Donald Trump. The deal includes the formal handover of the strategically important Diego Garcia, which houses a crucial American military base.
The Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean, have been at the centre of a long-standing dispute between the UK and Mauritius. The islands were detached from Mauritius in 1965, three years before the country gained independence, and have since been under British control.
The agreement, reached after years of negotiations, will see the UK cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This includes the transfer of Diego Garcia, which has served as a vital US military outpost for decades, hosting a base that has been used for sensitive operations and as a staging ground for military strikes in the region.
Trump, who has previously described the UK’s decision as an “act of great stupidity,” has strongly criticised the move, arguing that it will undermine the strategic importance of the Diego Garcia base. The former president’s comments underscore the geopolitical significance of the Chagos Islands, which have long been a point of contention between the UK, Mauritius, and the United States.
Mauritius, on the other hand, has welcomed the agreement, viewing it as a victory in its long-standing quest to regain control over the Chagos Islands. The country has argued that the islands were illegally separated from Mauritius and that their inhabitants, the Chagossians, were forcibly removed in the 1960s and 1970s.
The transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is expected to have far-reaching implications, both in terms of the regional balance of power and the ongoing dispute over the islands’ sovereignty. The US, which has maintained a strategic presence on Diego Garcia, may need to renegotiate the terms of its military operations in the region, potentially complicating its regional security strategy.
As the UK and Mauritius work to finalize the details of the handover, the future of the Chagos Islands and the role of the Diego Garcia base will continue to be closely watched by the international community.
