The new prime minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, has called for an independent review of a deal with the UK concerning the future of the Chagos Islands. The agreement would see the UK relinquish sovereignty over the archipelago whilst retaining a lease over Diego Garcia, an island home to a significant military base shared by the UK and the US. Although the deal has yet to be signed, Ramgoolam has said that he has asked for a review of the arrangements, which will be presented to the cabinet once the findings have been delivered.
The agreement was hailed as a “seminal moment” by then-Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer, and his counterpart in Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, following years of negotiations. However, Ramgoolam, who was elected two weeks ago, described it as a “sell-out” by his predecessor and allied groups; some Chagosians have expressed concerns that their interests were not represented in the negotiations. The newly appointed minister of agro-industry and fisheries, Arvin Boolell, criticised the dealmaker for granting the UK such a lengthy lease, initially reported as 200 years but later revised to 99.
There have also been concerns expressed from the US that the agreement may pose a “serious threat” to national security as it would bring the islands under Chinese influence. Despite this, David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, has defended the deal, calling it a “good deal” and expressing confidence that cross-party support will back it.
The deal is subject to finalisation in a treaty, with legal details to be agreed. It will then come before the UK Parliament for examination in 2021
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