In a landmark decision with far-reaching geopolitical implications, the United Kingdom has officially signed an agreement with Mauritius to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands while preserving the long-term operation of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia. This multibillion-pound deal, secured after legal and political hurdles, grants Britain a 99-year lease to continue using the strategic air base—widely considered vital to Western security interests in the Indian Ocean and beyond.
The deal was momentarily stalled when lawyers acting on behalf of Bertrice Pompe, a British national born in the Chagos Islands, secured a temporary injunction from the High Court just hours before the planned signing. However, Judge Martin Chamberlain later revoked the injunction, ruling that prolonging it would significantly harm British national and security interests. His decision cleared the path for the government to proceed with the agreement, emphasizing the base’s critical role in defending against global threats, including terrorism and regional instability.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, addressing reporters at a press conference, defended the agreement amid mounting criticism. He emphasized the base’s strategic value in operations ranging from counterterror missions in the Middle East to monitoring emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific. Starmer also stressed that the deal included strong safeguards against foreign interference, particularly from actors like China, and would ensure that the base remains operational and effective into the next century.
Despite government claims that the agreement strengthens British defense posture, opposition voices, especially from within the Conservative Party, voiced strong objections. Critics labeled it an expensive surrender of sovereignty that could inadvertently open the door to increased Chinese influence in the region via closer Mauritius-Beijing ties. Priti Patel, Conservative foreign affairs spokeswoman, lambasted the agreement as detrimental to national security, taxpayers, and the rights of displaced Chagossians.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who succeeded Pravind Jugnauth last year, welcomed the deal as a long-awaited step toward full decolonization. In a televised speech in the local Creole dialect, Ramgoolam declared that the agreement finally affirms Mauritius's sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia. His remarks underscore the emotional and political weight of the decades-long dispute, rooted in the controversial removal of Chagossian islanders more than 50 years ago.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed strong support for the deal, calling it a critical step in ensuring the stability and continuity of operations at Diego Garcia. The facility has played a central role in U.S. and allied military efforts for decades—from 2001 airstrikes in Afghanistan to recent missions targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen and delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza. The agreement, valued at £3 billion over 99 years with an optional 50-year extension, cements the base’s role in future Western defense strategies while reopening wounds among the Chagossian diaspora, whose legal and moral claims remain unresolved.