UK inks deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius Under 99-year base lease agreement

The British government has concluded a deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on May 22, following a brief legal injunction that delayed the signing.

Addressing reporters, Starmer described the agreement as “absolutely vital for our defence and intelligence, and therefore, for the safety and security of the British people,” Caliber.Az reports via British media. 

The multibillion-pound deal secures the UK’s continued control of the strategically crucial US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago, under a 99-year lease.

“The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain,” Starmer said. “By agreeing to this deal now, on our terms, we’re securing strong protections, including from malign influence, that will allow the base to operate well into the next century.”

The deal’s signing came hours after a High Court injunction temporarily blocked Starmer’s virtual ceremony with Mauritian officials. The injunction was lifted later in the day after a hearing, allowing the UK government to proceed.

The legal challenge was brought by two Chagossian women, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, British citizens representing the islands’ original inhabitants, who were evicted in the 1970s to facilitate the airbase’s construction. Pompe called the day “very sad” and pledged to continue fighting for the Chagossians’ rights, which she said have been contested for six decades.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who had initially expressed reservations upon his return to office last November, welcomed the agreement as marking “the total process of decolonisation.”

The UK has administered the Chagos Islands since 1814 but detached them from Mauritius in 1965 to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. The government forcibly relocated around 1,500 islanders to Mauritius and Seychelles in the early 1970s to establish the Diego Garcia military base.

The draft agreement was first announced in October, aiming to hand sovereignty to Mauritius while ensuring ongoing UK and US military use of Diego Garcia under a long-term lease. The deal’s finalisation was delayed by governmental changes in Mauritius and last-minute negotiations over financial terms.

The United States, a key partner in the arrangement, welcomed the accord. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the signing as “historic” and praised both governments for their “leadership, vision, and commitment” to maintaining Diego Garcia’s operational status.

“We look forward to working closely with both governments to strengthen our collaboration in support of regional peace and stability,” Rubio said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev