Overview
- The UK plan, which officials said Saturday lacked time for ratification in Parliament, is now on hold indefinitely after Washington withdrew support under President Donald Trump.
- Downing Street says it will only proceed with the sovereignty deal if the United States backs it, and it is still in talks with Washington and Mauritius.
- The agreement negotiated in May 2025 would return the archipelago to Mauritius while leasing Diego García back to the UK for 99 years, with reports of £101 million a year for access.
- Diego García hosts a joint UK–U.S. base that U.S. officials describe as practically indispensable for operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa.
- Mauritius’ foreign minister vowed to pursue diplomatic and legal routes, while displaced Chagossians continue to seek return and redress, backed by a 2019 ICJ opinion urging the UK to end its control.