UK returns Indian Ocean territory to former colony
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement on Thursday transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. However, the deal allows Washington and London to retain control of the joint military base on Diego Garcia Island for an initial period of 99 years.
The Chagos archipelago, comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 310 miles south of the Maldives archipelago, was separated from Mauritius by the UK in 1965, before Mauritius gained independence in 1968. Since then, Mauritius has sought to reclaim the territory. In 1966, the largest island, Diego Garcia, was leased to the US, and around 2,000 inhabitants were displaced.
Keir Starmer emphasized the strategic importance of Diego Garcia, stating, “the strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain, from deploying aircraft to defeat terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan to anticipating threats in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific.” He added that the deal secures strong protections against “malign influence.”
Speaking from the UK’s Northwood military headquarters, Starmer stated that US President Donald Trump also supports the deal, recognizing the strategic importance of the base.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the agreement as a historic step, saying, “with this agreement, we are completing the total process of decolonization.”
However, critics of the accord, including Conservative Party foreign affairs spokeswoman Priti Patel, argued that it was costly and risked ceding strategic influence in the region to China. Patel called it “Labour’s Chagos Surrender Deal,” saying it is “bad” for UK defense, for the country’s taxpayers and for British Chagossians.
According to Reuters, the total value of the agreement would be worth $3.9 billion (3 billion pounds) over 99 years. The deal includes an existing 24-mile buffer zone around Diego Garcia, where no construction can occur without UK approval. There is also an option to extend the lease for an additional 40 years, provided that both parties reach an agreement.
