British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has recognized that the United Kingdom cannot move forward with the transfer of the Chagos Islands without the support of former President Donald Trump. Recent reports indicate that the UK has decided to postpone its plans to return the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius due to opposition from Trump.
Legislation aimed at returning the Chagos Islands had run out of time in Parliament, and officials have stated that a new bill regarding the Chagos Islands is not anticipated to be introduced, according to media sources.
In January, Trump criticized what he termed London’s „great stupidity“ concerning the agreement. The Chagos Islands are strategically significant as they host the Diego Garcia military base, which is utilized by both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Starmer’s administration has expressed support for the agreement but acknowledged that it cannot advance without Trump’s endorsement, as reported by The Times.
Background on the Chagos Islands
In May, the UK had reached an agreement to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining a lease on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago, which houses the military base currently operated by the United States.
Although Trump initially supported the agreement after its signing, he later criticized it in comments made on Truth Social in January.
Diego Garcia was one of two military bases that the UK permitted the US to use for what the British government described as „defensive operations“ during its conflict with Iran.
Legal and Historical Context
The proposed Chagos agreement would have involved the UK transferring the archipelago—located approximately 2,000 kilometers northeast of Mauritius—back to its former colony while also paying to lease the US-UK military base for a century.
Starmer has previously emphasized that international legal decisions have cast doubt on Britain’s claim to the Chagos Islands, asserting that only a deal with Mauritius could ensure the continued operation of the military base.
Following Mauritius’s independence in the 1960s, the UK maintained control over the Chagos Islands, forcibly removing thousands of Chagos islanders, who have since pursued various legal claims for compensation in British courts.
In 2019, the International Court of Justice recommended that the UK return the archipelago to Mauritius. The proposed agreement would have granted the UK a 99-year lease of the military base, with an option for extension.
While the UK government has not disclosed the potential cost of the lease, it has not denied reports suggesting that it could amount to £90 million annually.
Bildquelle: Foto von Georg Eiermann auf Unsplash
