Overview
- On May 22, the United Kingdom signed an agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius.
- The New York Post reports that London has reopened discussions with the White House after President Donald Trump publicly condemned the plan and that a White House reassessment led him to withdraw U.S. support for the transfer.
- Chagossian organizers say they have formed a government in exile and elected Misley Mandarin interim first minister, asserting a right to self-determination while voicing support for the U.S. base and a desire to remain British.
- A United Nations committee recently reaffirmed that Chagossians possess a right to self-determination, and a House of Lords committee survey found most Chagossians opposed a handover to Mauritius.
- Recent reporting highlights risks that future base access could hinge on British payments to Mauritius and raises Pelindaba Treaty questions, while the New York Post notes Parliament has not ratified the agreement and argues Trump could block implementation by withholding an update to the 1966 US–UK treaty.