The UK government has insisted Mauritius is ready to finalize a deal over the future of the Chagos Islands, despite the country’s new PM demanding better terms.
Under the agreement announced in October, the UK would hand sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius, but maintain a 99-year lease over the UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told MPs that it was a “monumental failure of statecraft”, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said there was “very deep disquiet” about it among US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming team.
Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty argued the deal was in all sides’ interests.
On Tuesday, Mauritius said it had put forward changes to the original deal, which was struck shortly before then-Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth suffered a landslide defeat in a general election.
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