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The United Kingdom will shortly be ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Under the terms of a new treaty, there will be a ninety-nine-year-lease for Diego Garcia, the tropical atoll used by the US government as a military base. It follows two years of negotiation over the strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean. Both sides have vowed to finalize the treaty as quickly as possible.
Given the Chagos Islands’ strategic access to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, a backlash is inevitable
The announcement today follows British prime minister Keir Starmer’s call with his Mauritian counterpar Pravind Jugnauth. A Downing Street spokesman said that: “The prime minister reiterated the importance of reaching this deal to protect the continued operation of the UK/US military base on Diego Garcia. He underscored his steadfast duty to national and global security which underpinned the political agreement reached today.”
The most striking thing about today’s decision is its speed. It was less than a month ago that Jonathan Powell was appointed as the special envoy on talks: a move which suggested a lengthy period of negotiation. The ministry of defense and the Americans have traditionally been seen as the stumbling blocks to a deal. The question is therefore whether their objections were addressed or overridden.
News of a treaty follows a shift in the UK’s long-standing position on the islands. In recent years, there has been increasing international pressure to surrender what some have called Britain’s “last colony in Africa.” Mauritius has long complained that it was illegally forced to give up the territory as an exchange for its own independence in 1968, with the British government having already secretly negotiating a deal with the US for the base on Diego Garcia. The UK later apologized for removing islanders from the archipelago and pledged to give up the territory when it was no longer needed for strategic purposes.
International pressure has now forced the UK’s hand. Britain’s focus on maintaining support for Ukraine means it cannot afford to alienate allies around the world. In Whitehall, the hope is that the ninety-nine-year-lease will alleviate fears that the new government has sacrificed British interests in one sphere to aid efforts in another. The fact that New Delhi is on board is a positive too. But given the Chagos Islands’ strategic access to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, a backlash at home is inevitable. The Tory leadership contenders have already waded in: Tom Tugendhat calls it a “shameful retreat:” James Cleverly says ministers are “weak, weak, weak” — despite the negotiations beginning on his watch.
The governments of Mauritius and China have been increasing their ties in recent years, with their respective national banks signing a bilateral currency agreement less than a month ago. Given Beijing’s expansionist posturing in recent years, promises of a ninety-nine-year-lease seem optimistic, to say the least.
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This article was originally published on The Spectator’s UK website.
