Mauritius says Chagos sovereignty brings responsibilities toward Chagossians

Mauritius said sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago entails responsibilities toward Chagossians, the environment and future generations.

The island nation’s acting President Jean Yvan Robert Hungley also emphasised the importance of international law, meaningful Chagossian participation, resettlement considerations and environmental stewardship.

He made the remarks Friday in the capital Port Louis, during a colloquium held under the theme ‘Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago: Where do we stand?’

Hungley noted the increasingly complex geopolitical context surrounding the 2025 Agreement.

Mauritius had initially set the end of July, 2026 for the UK to finalize a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands after London put the agreement on hold following objections from US President Donald Trump.

The UK paused the deal, which would cede the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius while securing a 99-year lease to operate the joint UK-US military base on the island of Diego Garcia.

In September, UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain would take another look at its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. US President Donald Trump had made it clear he did not support the deal in its current form during talks with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly in New York.