Donald Trump signs off UK's handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius
Source: The Guardian
Donald Trump signs off UK’s handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius
No 10 says deal to cede UK’s last African colony now being finalised after months of doubt
Eleni Courea Political correspondent
Tue 1 Apr 2025 18.32 BST
Last modified on Tue 1 Apr 2025 18.50 BST
Donald Trump has signed off the UK’s handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Downing Street has indicated, paving the way for the UK to cede sovereignty over its last African colony after a six-month standoff.
Under the terms of the deal, the UK will give up control of the Chagos archipelago while paying to maintain control of a joint US-UK military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia, under a 99-year lease.
The agreement came under fire from senior Republicans in the US last year, and more recently some inside the UK government who questioned why the UK was spending billions on it amid cost pressures.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said on Tuesday that the deal was being finalised after receiving the green light from Trump. “My understanding is it’s now between us and the Mauritian government to finalise the deal, following the discussions with the US,” he said.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/donald-trump-signs-off-uks-handover-of-chagos-islands-to-mauritius
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