Chagos Islands: UK and Mauritius close in on deal after US signals consent

Britain and Mauritius are finalizing a deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, a disputed U.K. territory that is home to a major U.S. military base, the U.K. government said on Tuesday.

Britain signaled that President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, has given its approval and no further action is needed from the U.S.

“We are working with the Mauritian government to finalize and sign the treaty,” said Tom Wells, a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Once signed it will be laid before both houses of Parliament for scrutiny and for ratification.”

The deal

Britain and Mauritius have been negotiating a deal for the U.K. to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.

The U.K. would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.

But the deal has faced criticism from the opposition Conservative Party and from some allies of Trump. Last year the now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it posed “a serious threat” to U.S. national security.