Mauritius hints that talks have stalled over money

The Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius has hinted that talks with Britain on the future of the Chagos Islands are being delayed because of the amount of money.

Under the terms of the initial agreement, which was announced in October, Britain would relinquish Mauritius’ sovereignty over the archipelago but retain a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, home to a major British-US military air base.

As part of the deal, Britain said it would provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, including annual payments and infrastructure investment, but neither side said the amount involved.

However, the new Mauritian government, elected after the agreement, has said it wants to see some changes.

The proposed deal has also drawn criticism in the UK, with the opposition Conservative Party calling it a “monumental failure of statecraft”.

When the agreement was announced for the first time after years of negotiations, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and then-Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnaut called it “a watershed moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our strong commitment to peaceful dispute resolution and the rule of law.”

It sought to end decades of uncertainty and dispute over the islands’ status.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the UK and Mauritius said they intended to “finalize the agreement as soon as possible”, which provides for both “the safe and effective operation of the existing base on Diego Garcia and that Mauritius is sovereign over the archipelago”. “.

They added that “ongoing conversations” have been productive.

Mauritius’ new government, elected in a landslide last month, has not publicly revealed exactly what its problems with the deal are.

But speaking to his constituents on Sunday, Deputy Premier Paul Berenger was talking about money.

“This base was on our land, on our territory… but it’s not just (about) our sovereignty. There are some things you cannot agree with if you are a true patriot. They are trying to force us to sign and they are complaining about a small amount,” he said.

Speaking in parliament last week on the talks, Berenger admitted that Mauritius needed “money to get out of the economic mess that the previous government got us into, but not at any cost and not under any conditions”.

Addressing MPs on Friday, Prime Minister Naveen Ramgoolam said Britain was committed to completing the deal “before (Donald) Trump is sworn in as president on January 20”.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, called the deal a threat to US security.

In the House of Commons last week, Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the Labor government of putting Britain’s national security at risk by ignoring the interests of the Chagas and “allowing our position to go into free fall” in an increasingly dangerous world. .

“How much will the UK taxpayer be liable for each year and overall over 99 years?” she asked.

Foreign Secretary Stephen Doughty insisted the deal would strengthen, not harm, Britain’s security, saying it would protect the operation of the military base and ensure it is “on a secure footing well into the next century”.

Britain has faced increasing diplomatic isolation in recent years over its claims to what it calls British Indian Ocean Territory, with various United Nations bodies – including its highest court and the General Assembly – overwhelmingly speaking out against side of Mauritius and demanding that Britain surrender what some called its “last colony in Africa”.

The Mauritian government has long argued that it was illegally forced to give up the Chagos Islands in exchange for its independence from Britain in 1968.

Until recently, Britain insisted that Mauritius itself had no legitimate claim to the islands.