The United Kingdom has formally signed an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while securing a 99-year lease on the strategically significant Diego Garcia military base.
The deal, confirmed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, follows a last-minute legal challenge and marks a major shift in Britain’s presence in the Indian Ocean.
Under the agreement, Britain will pay £101 million per year to maintain control of the base, which has played a critical role in military operations across Iraq, Afghanistan, the Red Sea, and the Indo-Pacific.
Starmer underscored its importance in a press conference, warning that the UK would have lost control of a vital security asset had the deal not been signed.
“If we did not agree to this deal, the legal situation would mean that we would not be able to prevent China or any other nation from setting up their own bases on the outer islands or carrying out joint exercises near our base.We would have to explain to the British people and our allies that we had lost control of this vital asset.”
The sovereignty of the Chagos Islands has been a long-standing issue, with multiple international courts recognizing Mauritius’s claim to the territory.
While the deal resolves the dispute, critics have raised concerns about the financial cost and the long-term implications for UK foreign policy in the region.
Mauritius officials have hailed the agreement as a step forward in reclaiming their territorial rights, while defense analysts say Diego Garcia remains indispensable for UK-US military cooperation.
