Sir Keir Starmer has signed a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius (India TV News)
Sir Keir Starmer has signed a deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but lease back a key military base for £101m a year for 99 years, which the PM said amounted to a “net cost” of £3.4bn after adjusting for factors including inflation.
Under the terms of the agreement the UK and the US would continue operating out of Diego Garcia, which was the only way to maintain the base’s long-term future.
It also strengthened the UK’s national security according to Sir Keir; plus there is also an option to extend the lease by 40 further years, if agreed by both sides.
In recent years, the UK has come under growing international pressure to return the islands to Mauritius, with both the United Nations’ top court and general assembly siding with Indian Ocean nation over sovereignty claims.
The deal sets a 24-mile buffer around Diego Garcia, where nothing can be built without UK consent.
Additionally, foreign military and civilian forces will also be barred from other islands in the archipelago, with the UK retaining a power to veto any access to the islands.
Forced to give away in first place
The UK purchased the islands for £3m back in 1968, but Mauritius has always put forward the argument that it was illegally forced to give them away as part of “negotiations” to gain independence.
The islands were then cleared to make way for a UK-US armed forces base with large groups of Chagossians moving to Mauritius and the Seychelles, or taking up an invitation to settle in England, mainly in the West Sussex town of Crawley.
Strategically important
Sir Keir confirmed that he had the backing of not only President Trump, but also other allies, due to them being able to recognise the strategic importance of the base.
He said “We cannot cede the ground to others who would seek to do us harm,” before pointing out that if the deal was not agreed then the legal situation would mean that they would not be able to prevent China, or any other nation setting up their own bases on the outer islands, or carrying out joint exercises near the base.
“No responsible government could let that happen,” he said with a puzzled tone aimed at those who were questioning the action.
Security improved
Mauritius Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, applauded the deal calling it a “great victory for the Mauritian nation” and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed the agreement for the “long-term security” it brings.
There was however, predictable criticism from opposition politicians in the UK, who questioned the cost and called the deal “an act of national self-harm”.
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, cuttingly said: “Only Keir Starmer’s Labour would negotiate a deal where we’re paying to give something away.”
Legal challenge blocked
There was almost a last minute hitch, but a High Court dismissed a legal challenge, brought by two Chagossian women, Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, who were both born on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, and wanted to be able to return.
The deal states Mauritius is “free to implement a programme of resettlement” on the islands, excluding Diego Garcia, but in a pre-action letter, lawyers for the two women said the Chagos people had unlawfully not been given a say in the future of the islands, despite being the native inhabitants.
They also said that they did not trust Mauritius to treat the Chagosians fairly, and that they would face “severe obstacles” as British citizens who do not hold Mauritian nationality, including possible racial discrimination and the loss of the possibility of returning.
Broken promises
Following the court’s decision, Ms Pompe said it was “a very, very sad day” adding: “We don’t want to hand over our rights to Mauritius. We’re not Mauritians”.
She said the British government promised to look out for their best interests, which was in her opinion “absolute rubbish” pointing out that it will be up to Mauritius to decide if they will get to resettle on the outer islands or not, stating that “they don’t have to if they don’t want to.”
Crucial location
The Chagos Archipelago consists of approximately 58 small, flat islands located in the central Indian Ocean, roughly 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) away from Mauritius.
Historically, the islands were considered a dependency of Mauritius, originally a French colony that was later ceded to the UK under the Treaty of Paris in 1814.
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