The Outer

Mauritius Prime Minister Criticizes British Agreement on Military Base in Chagos

By Sama Marwan,

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has criticized the British agreement with the previous government regarding the military base in Chagos, stating that the lease should be tied to inflation and consider exchange rates.

In a statement to the local newspaper L’Express, Ramgoolam said he had inquired about the duration of the lease for the military base, a contentious point in negotiations during which the UK plans to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The UK signed an agreement in October to hand over the Chagos Islands while retaining control of a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago, under a 99-year lease. The agreement has not yet been ratified.

After the overthrow of Mauritius’ previous government in the November elections, Ramgoolam criticized the agreement without delving into details about the various points of contention, according to the French news site Zone Press.

He added that the agreement must fully recognize Mauritius’ ownership of the islands, which could impact the UK’s unilateral right to renew the lease.

“This is not just a matter of money but of our sovereignty,” he said, adding that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had been eager to finalize the agreement before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.

“We are not in a rush. We stand firm in our demands and will ensure that the medium- and long-term interests of the country are considered, not just the short term,” Ramgoolam said.

Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, stated that the agreement poses a threat to U.S. security by ceding the archipelago—whose base hosts U.S. long-range bombers and warships—to another country.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button