By GB News (World News) | Created at 2025-01-12 14:19:20 | Updated at 2025-01-12 19:16:03
4 hours ago
Mauritius is reportedly in “no rush” to secure a Chagos Island deal with the UK before Donald Trump takes office.
Officials have told The Telegraph that the Mauritian government is pushing for more money, after being offered £9billion over 99 years by the UK for continued use of the Diego Garcia airbase.
Uncertainty is growing in Government amid fears that the deal could collapse with the inauguration of Trump, who has been very vocal about his opposition to Britain handing over territory to a country with close ties to China.
A Mauritian official said the money offered was “insufficient” to close the deal and that the wording of the October 3 agreement on sovereignty was “excessively restrictive”.
The Mauritian government is pushing for more money, after being offered £9billion over 99 years by the UK
Getty
However, Ramgoolam is now reportedly demanding £800m a year, along with billions of pounds in reparations.
He said: “The lease amount should be revised upwards given it’s largely insufficient (for the use of Diego Garcia).
"We have proposed 'frontloading' the annual rent, which involves paying a larger sum during the first years of the lease and a reduced amount thereafter.”
There is speculation that the agreement will be damaged when Trump takes office on January 20. Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly looking to sign the document and enforce it before then.
The proposed deal would mean Britain would hand over the islands to Mauritius while securing long-term use of the air base on Diego Garcia.
People in Mauritius are afraid that Trump could derail the deal, costing the country millions.
University scholar Nowsheen Lall said: “It’s no secret that the Labour Government and Trump’s camp don’t get along, with people like Elon Musk openly criticising Sir Keir Starmer.
“The Mauritian government is leveraging this tension to buy time and negotiate a more favourable financial settlement.
"The ultimate goal is to secure the agreement before any significant geopolitical shifts occur once Trump takes office.”
At the same time, former Royal Navy chief Admiral Lord West of Spithead is urging Starmer to abandon the deal, which he has branded as “irresponsible”.
There is speculation that the agreement will be damaged when Trump takes office on January 20. Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly looking to sign the document and enforce it before then
Reuters / PA
Speaking to Politico, Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, also expressed his worries that the deal would permit China to gather valuable intelligence on America’s naval support facility.
He said: “This poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical US military posture in the region.”
China has increased its presence in the region in recent years, also establishing a military base in Djibouti in 107 and signing a free trade agreement with Mauritius in 2021.
