— The agreement on the transfer of sovereignty over the islands was negotiated, concluded and signed exclusively between Great Britain and Mauritius, emphasized Gavin Glover, the head of the Ministry of Justice of Mauritius on Tuesday.
The government in London concluded an agreement with the authorities of Mauritius in May 2025, ending a decades-long dispute over sovereignty over the Chagos Islands located in the Indian Ocean.
What did the Minister of Justice of Mauritius say about sovereignty?
How did Donald Trump comment on giving up the Chagos Islands?
When did the British Government reach an agreement with Mauritius?
How long will the UK lease Diego Garcia?
Chagos Islands. Great Britain gives up territory
Under the agreement, Mauritius took over sovereignty over the entire archipelago, including the island of Diego Garcia, where there is a strategically located military base. The facility is used by the British and American armed forces.
However, Diego Garcia is to be leased by the UK for 99 years. London will pay £101 million a year for this.
Donald Trump criticizes the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
On Tuesday, Donald Trump on the Truth Social platform sharply criticized Great Britain for concluding the agreement. “To everyone's surprise, our 'brilliant' NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is now planning to give Mauritius the island of Diego Garcia, where a key US military base is located, and is doing so for no reason at all. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of utter weakness. They are international powers that only see strength, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after just a year, respected like never before,” he wrote.
The President of the United States linked this matter, among others, with his plans to take over Greenland. “Britain giving up vitally important land is an act of great stupidity and another in a long list of national security reasons why Greenland must be taken. Denmark and its European allies must do the right thing.”
The British government rejected the criticism and recalled that allies, including the US, had previously praised the conclusion of the agreement.
