The African state’s attorney general says the UK’s decision to return the territory was negotiated, concluded, and “signed exclusively”
The sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago is undisputed and should “no longer be subject to debate,” the African country’s attorney general has said. Gavin Glover made the statement in response to US President Donald Trump’s remarks over the UK’s decision to cede control of the Indian Ocean territory to its former colony.
Trump, in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, criticized Britain’s deal with Mauritius as an act of “great stupidity” and “total weakness,” accusing the UK of giving away “extremely important land” that hosts a “vital US military base.”
The Chagos Archipelago, comprising more than 60 islands, was separated from Mauritius by Britain in 1965, three years before the East African country gained independence. In 1966, the largest island – Diego Garcia – was leased to the US for military use, and around 2,000 inhabitants were displaced. Mauritius has since sought to reclaim the territory.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement transferring sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius in May 2025. However, the deal allows Washington and London to retain control of the joint military base on Diego Garcia for an initial period of 99 years at a reported total value of $3.9 billion.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the agreement as a historic step toward “completing the total process of decolonization,” while Starmer said at the time that Trump supported the move. On Tuesday, Darren Jones, the prime minister’s chief secretary, also told Sky News the deal had been “welcomed at the time by the American administration and also by European allies.”
In his statement on Tuesday, Mauritian Attorney General Gavin Glover said the deal was “negotiated, concluded and signed exclusively” between the UK and Mauritius, adding that Washington had described it as a “historic agreement.”
“For more than sixty years, this situation has remained a source of profound injustice. We take note with satisfaction of the initial statements from the British Government confirming that this agreement is in accordance with international law and reaffirming its willingness to ratify it,” he stated.
He said the African state’s authorities “await the implementation of the treaty as soon as possible, in accordance with the commitments made” despite Trump’s reversed stance.
