Keir Starmer has urged Mauritius to ensure the deal for the Chagos Islands keeps them free from “malign influence”, amid concern in Mauritius and the US about the terms of the deal.
The prime minister spoke to his counterpart, Navin Ramgoolam, for the first time on Friday afternoon to discuss the agreement to hand over control of the islands, which was signed last year but has attracted criticism from people close to the new US president, Donald Trump.
Starmer told Ramgoolam he wanted “strong protections” for the UK-US military base on the island chain.
The deal would see the UK cede its final African colony while keeping control of the military base on the island of Diego Garcia for at least 99 years. British officials say it was signed with the support of the US government but allies of Trump have since criticised it, warning that Mauritius’ alliance with China posed a risk to US national security.
Downing Street said on Friday: “The prime minister spoke to the prime minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, this afternoon. The leaders began by reflecting on their first months in office and discussed the strong relationship between the UK and Mauritius, which they looked forward to expanding.”
A spokesperson added: “The prime minister underlined the need for a deal to secure the military base on Diego Garcia that ensures strong protections, including from malign influence, and that will allow the base to continue to operate. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to a deal, and they looked forward to speaking again soon.”
Starmer agreed the deal to hand over the islands last year with Ramgoolam’s predecessor Pravind Jugnauth and with the backing of the Biden administration. This followed a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice in 2019 that the UK should end its control of the territory.
However, changes of government in the US and Mauritius have since put the deal at risk.
Ramgoolam has ordered a review of the terms, arguing they do not represent value for the Mauritian people. Having promised to pay £90m a year for ongoing control of Diego Garcia, British ministers are now offering to front-load those payments.
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Even if the two sides do reach agreement, there is a possibility the deal could be opposed by Trump. Though the president has not commented, his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, previously warned: “This [deal] poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical US military posture in the region.”
