UK ‘Finalising’ Chagos Deal After Trump’s Approval

AFP | London, United Kingdom
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A deal for Britain to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has won the approval of US President Donald Trump and is now being "finalised", a UK government spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

The agreement will see Britain hand back the archipelago to its former colony while securing a lease agreement to continue operating the key US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island.

Britain and Mauritius first announced the agreement late last year, but following Trump's victory in the US presidential election, UK officials said his administration would have a say in the final terms.

Trump’s Backing and Next Steps

“You will have seen from the president that he recognised the strength of the deal,” said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman, referring to Trump’s positive remarks about the agreement during a February press conference at the White House.

“I think we are now working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and sign the treaty,” the spokesman added.

Strategic Importance of Diego Garcia

The US-leased base on Diego Garcia is a critical military facility in the Asia-Pacific region. It has played a key role in US military operations, serving as a hub for long-range bombers and naval deployments during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Starmer insists that international legal rulings have cast doubt on Britain’s ownership of the Chagos Islands and that only a formal agreement with Mauritius can guarantee the base’s continued operation.