UK‑Mauritius Chagos Sovereignty Deal Stalls as US Opposition Delays Implementation
The 2025 UK‑Mauritius treaty granting Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago has not yet entered into force.
In Brief
- •The 2025 UK‑Mauritius treaty granting Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago has not yet entered into force.
- •US President Donald Trump’s criticism and the UK Parliament’s failure to pass implementing legislation have stalled the agreement.
- •Elderly Chagossians, aged 58‑100, fear they may never return to their homeland as the treaty’s resettlement provisions remain unenforced.
- •The treaty allows the UK to retain a 99‑year lease on Diego Garcia for military use while permitting Mauritius to resettle Chagossians on other islands.
- •Recent diplomatic talks in September 2026 between UK and Mauritius officials aim to find a way forward that protects the US‑UK military base and Chagossian rights.
Why It Matters
The stalled treaty delays the return of displaced Chagossians to their ancestral homeland, raising humanitarian and cultural concerns for a community that has been displaced for decades. Politically, the impasse underscores tensions between the UK, Mauritius, and the United States over strategic military interests in the Indian Ocean, potentially affecting regional security dynamics and international law precedents regarding colonial-era disputes.
Key Details
- Treaty Signed
- May 22 2025
- Treaty Status
- Not yet in force
- US Opposition
- Trump called it an “act of great stupidity”
- UK Parliament Session
- 2024‑26 ended April 29, bill stalled
- Resettlement Islands
- All except Diego Garcia
Context & Background
The Chagos archipelago was separated from Mauritius by Britain in 1965, and between 1968 and 1973 Britain removed an estimated 1,400‑1,700 Chagossians. The 2019 International Court of Justice advisory opinion and the 2021 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea judgement affirmed Mauritius’s sovereignty, leading to the 2025 treaty.
Original Reporting & Sources
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