Britain and Mauritius are seeking a diplomatic breakthrough at the United Nations General Assembly after United States President Donald Trump’s opposition stalled a $4.5 billion agreement transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to the African island nation.
- Britain and Mauritius are seeking to revive a $4.5 billion Chagos Islands sovereignty deal stalled by Donald Trump’s opposition.
- The agreement would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while Britain retains a 99-year lease over the Diego Garcia military base.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham says London wants to resolve concerns with Mauritius and the US while preserving the base’s operations.
- UNGA talks could provide a new path forward, but the deal still depends on resolving US security concerns.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government remained committed to resolving the dispute and preserving the long-term operation of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia.
According to Reuters, Burnham spoke with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam before travelling to New York, with both leaders agreeing that their foreign ministers should meet during UNGA.
“We remain determined to secure the long-term operation of the base, which is crucial to our security and that of our allies,” he was quoted as saying.
The negotiations place Mauritius at the centre of a disagreement between two major Western powers over one of the Indian Ocean’s most strategically important military installations.
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Britain signed an agreement in 2025 recognising Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, ending more than two centuries of British control. London would, however, retain authority over Diego Garcia under an initial 99-year lease.
The arrangement has yet to take effect because the British Parliament has not completed the legislation required to implement it.
Trump earlier described the agreement as a “big mistake,” raising concerns about whether the transfer could affect the security of the Diego Garcia base. His opposition caused the legislative process in Britain to be paused, Reuters reported.
Burnham said Britain would work with Mauritius and the United States to reach a solution, while acknowledging that the three governments had not yet found one.
The base supports American and British military operations across the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and Asia. Its location gives the two countries access to major shipping routes while providing a platform far from heavily populated areas.
Under the agreement, Britain would pay Mauritius an average of £101 million, approximately $135 million, annually over the initial 99-year period.
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The British government calculates the net present value of the payments at £3.4 billion, or roughly $4.5 billion. That is not an upfront payment or a simple multiplication of the annual amount over 99 years.
The UK government previously said the treaty would preserve full operational control of the base while strengthening its defence relationship with Washington.
For Mauritius, the agreement would settle a sovereignty dispute that continued for decades after it became independent in 1968. Britain separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before independence and removed Chagossians from the territory while the military base was being developed.
The UNGA meeting now gives Mauritius another opportunity to push the agreement forward, but its implementation increasingly depends on whether Britain can persuade Trump that the handover will not weaken American security interests.
