Mauritius' New Prime Minister Calls for Review of Chagos Islands Agreement with UK

The draft deal, which includes a 99-year lease for the Diego Garcia military base, faces scrutiny over sovereignty, financial terms, and Chagossian exclusion.

Mauritius' newly elected Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has ordered an independent review of a draft agreement with the UK regarding the Chagos Islands' future.
The proposed deal would transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia, a strategic UK-US military base, to Britain for 99 years.
Ramgoolam and his coalition criticized the agreement during the election campaign, labeling it a 'sell-out' and raising concerns over the financial settlement and sovereignty terms.
The agreement has drawn criticism from some Chagossian groups for their exclusion from negotiations and from U.S. Republican leaders, citing potential security risks due to Mauritius' ties with China.
The draft treaty, which is yet to be finalized and ratified, is under pressure to be completed before Donald Trump assumes the U.S. presidency in January 2025.