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The UK government has refuted claims that the agreement regarding the Chagos Islands is currently paused, despite a minister’s earlier remarks implying such a halt. Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer informed MPs that the UK was “pausing” the legislative process to transfer sovereignty over the territory to Mauritius to engage in further discussions with the United States. However, a government source later clarified that there had been “no pause” and that no set deadline had ever been established, with the legislative timetable to be announced as usual.
The controversy arose after US President Donald Trump publicly urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to cancel the treaty last week, contradicting prior US support for the agreement. The Chagos Islands, formally known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, have been under British control since the early 1800s. The proposed deal would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius, while allowing the UK to lease back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia for an average of £101 million annually. The British government is in the process of passing a bill through Parliament to ratify this arrangement.
Falconer explained to the House of Commons that the US administration had previously backed the treaty but acknowledged the significance of President Trump’s recent critical statement. He emphasized that discussions with the US are ongoing and that the treaty process would resume in Parliament at the appropriate time. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson maintained that the UK’s position remained unchanged and highlighted that talks with the US over the next steps were still underway. Meanwhile, Mauritius’s Attorney General Gavin Glover expressed no surprise at the minister’s comments, stating that while legislative discussions had been silent in recent weeks, he remained in close contact with the UK Foreign Office and noted that the indication was of a legislative pause, not a withdrawal.
The legislation, known as the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, is nearing completion in the House of Lords. However, Conservative opposition had previously led to a delay in January by tabling an amendment calling for a pause due to shifting geopolitical circumstances. No new date has been scheduled for its further consideration. Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones assured that the bill would return to the Lords “as soon as parliamentary time allows,” although reports had earlier suggested delays due to the recent tensions stirred by Trump’s comments.
The issue remains politically charged. The UK has held control of the islands since 1814 but forcibly removed inhabitants in the 1960s to establish the military base. Under the agreement, the UK committed to paying £101 million annually to maintain the base over the next 99 years while conceding sovereignty to Mauritius. Many Chagossians view the deal as a betrayal, hoping Britain retains control to allow their return one day. Opposition parties including the Conservatives and Reform UK actively resist the arrangement, with MPs lobbying US politicians to build dissent against the treaty. Reform UK MP Nigel Farage described Mauritius’s claim as historically and culturally unfounded and warned of regional conflicts between India and China. He also suggested that the Maldives might soon challenge Mauritius’s claim before the International Court of Justice. Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton criticized the deal as a political decision by the current government that would weaken Britain and burden taxpayers unnecessarily
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