UK-Mauritius Chagos sovereignty deal stalls amid fears of further delays

What the report says

Talks over the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos archipelago have resumed, but the deal remains stalled, deepening concern among Chagossians that promised resettlement could be delayed again. Al Jazeera reports from Pointe aux Sables, Mauritius, that older members of the Chagossian community fear they may not live long enough to return to the islands they were removed from decades ago.

The treaty, signed by Britain and Mauritius on May 22, 2025, would give Mauritius sovereignty over the archipelago while allowing the UK to keep operating the Diego Garcia military base for an initial 99 years. It also opens the door for resettlement on islands other than Diego Garcia. However, the agreement has still not entered into force, in part because of political opposition in the United States. Al Jazeera notes that US President Donald Trump has criticised the arrangement, and that implementation legislation in the UK did not complete its parliamentary passage before the session ended in April.

Recent diplomacy has revived the issue. British and Mauritian leaders have said they want a way forward that protects Diego Garcia’s role and UK security interests, while Mauritian officials continue to insist that sovereignty is non-negotiable. In parallel, Chagossian groups are lobbying politicians and international bodies, arguing that the archipelago’s displaced population has already waited too long.

The dispute matters because it combines decolonisation, military strategy and the rights of a dispersed community. Beyond the sovereignty question, the article highlights concerns about cultural loss, divisions among Chagossians over the shape of any return, and the uncertainty facing elders who want to be buried in their homeland.