Written by Velin Anjanan
PORT LOUIS (Reuters) – The Mauritian Prime Minister has questioned the term of the lease on the US-British military base, a controversial element in negotiations in which the United Kingdom plans to cede control of the Chagos Islands to the Chagos Islands, Naveen Ramgoolam told a local newspaper. Mauritius.
Britain concluded an agreement in October to hand over the Chagos Islands while retaining control of the base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, under a 99-year lease. The agreement has not yet been ratified.
After ousting the previous government in November elections, Ramgoolam criticized the agreement without going into detail about individual sticking points.
Ramgoolam described Britain's agreement with the previous government as a “sale-out” and told the local newspaper L'Express that the lease must also be linked to inflation and take exchange rates into account.
He added that it should fully recognize Mauritius' ownership of the islands, which could affect the UK's unilateral right to renew the lease.
“It is not just a question of money, but of our sovereignty,” he said, adding that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was keen to conclude the agreement before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
Marco Rubio, Trump's pick for secretary of state, said the deal poses a threat to US security by ceding the archipelago – with its base used by US long-range bombers and warships – to a country he claims is allied with China.
“We are in no rush,” Ramgoolam said. He added: “We are steadfast in our demands and will make sure that the country's interests are taken into account in the medium and long term, and not just in the short term.”
Some Chagossians also criticized the negotiations, saying they could not support an agreement in which they did not participate and said they would protest against it.
