The Government claims that the agreement with Britain signed Thursday, May 22 to cede sovereignty of the disputed Chagos Islands to Mauritius guarantees the survival of a U.S.-U.K. military base that is essential to British security.
On Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago, there is a strategically significant naval and bomber base. The U.K. will lease back the base to Mauritius for a minimum of 99 years in exchange for an average of 101 million pounds ($136 million) annually.
According to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the American-run base is “right at the foundation of our safety and security at home” and is essential to British intelligence and counterterrorism efforts. At a U.K. military headquarters in Northwood, close to London, Starmer told reporters, “By agreeing to this deal now on our terms, we’re securing strong protections, including from malign influence, that will allow the base to operate well into the next century, helping to keep us safe for generations to come.”
Opponents of the agreement, which needs parliamentary approval, contend that ceding the islands, which have been British territory for 200 years, exposes them to potential meddling by foreign nations like China or Russia. Some of the original inhabitants of the islands, who were driven out decades ago to make room for the base, opposed the agreement. On Thursday morning, Starmer and Navin Ramgoolam, the leader of Mauritius, were scheduled to sign the deal virtually.