The Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius has hinted that negotiations with the UK over the future of the Chagos Islands are at a standstill due to the amount of money involved.
Under the terms of the original agreement, announced in October, the UK cedes sovereignty to Mauritius over the archipelago but retains a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, home to a major British-American military air base.
As part of the deal, the UK said it would provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, including annual payments and investment in infrastructure, but neither side said how much that would be.
But the new government in Mauritius, elected since the agreement was first concluded, has said it wants to see some changes.
The proposed deal also sparked criticism in the United Kingdom, where the opposition Conservative Party described it as a “dismal failure in statecraft.”
When the agreement was first announced after years of talks, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and then Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth described it as “a seminal moment in our relationship and evidence of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict resolution.” Rule of law.”
It sought to end decades of uncertainty and disagreement over the status of the islands.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the UK and Mauritius said they were committed to “finalizing a treaty as quickly as possible” that would include “the safe and effective operation of the current base at Diego Garcia and that Mauritius has sovereignty over the archipelago.” “.
They added that the “ongoing talks” were fruitful.
Mauritius's new government, elected by an overwhelming majority last month, has not been publicly forthcoming about the problems it has with the agreement specifically.
But speaking to his constituents on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Berenger spoke about the money involved.
“This rule existed on our land, on our territory… but it is not just about our sovereignty. There are some things that you cannot accept if you are a true patriot. They are trying to force us to sign and they are arguing over a small amount,” he said.
Speaking to Parliament last week about the negotiations, Beringer admitted that Mauritius needed “money to get out of the economic mess the previous government got us into, but not at any price, and not under any circumstances.”
Addressing MPs on Friday, Prime Minister Naveen Ramgoolam said the UK was keen to complete the deal “before (Donald) Trump is sworn in as president on January 20”.
Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for Secretary of State, described the deal as a threat to US security.
Last week, in the UK House of Commons, Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the Labor government of endangering the UK's national security, ignoring the interests of the Chagossians, and “allowing our standing to free fall” in an increasingly dangerous world.
“How much will the British taxpayer be liable each year, in total, over 99 years?” I asked.
British Foreign Secretary Stephen Doughty insisted that the deal would enhance the UK's security and would not harm it, saying it would protect the military base's operations and ensure it was “in a secure position for the next century”.
In recent years, the UK has faced increasing diplomatic isolation over its claim to what it refers to as the British Indian Ocean Territory, with various UN bodies – including the Supreme Court and the General Assembly – overwhelmingly siding with Mauritius and demanding that the UK hand over what some have called “ The last colony in Africa.
The Mauritian government has long said it was illegally forced to give up the Chagos Islands in exchange for its independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.
Until very recently, the UK insisted that Mauritius itself had no legitimate claim to the islands.
