Janice R. Andrews
The UK is under increasing pressure from Mauritius over the Chagos Islands negotiations, as Mauritius demands £800 million annually and billions in reparations. Simon McDonald, a former senior Foreign Office official, has urged Britain to stand firm, dismissing these demands as excessive.
The Chagos Islands, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, are slated to be returned to Mauritius following an October agreement. However, Mauritius, under newly reinstated Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, is now seeking far more substantial financial terms than initially discussed.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lord McDonald, who led the Diplomatic Service from 2015 to 2020, criticized Mauritius for “overplaying its hand.” While he acknowledged that new governments often reassess agreements, he described the scale of Mauritius’s demands as unrealistic.
“It feels to me that they are overdoing it and they will not succeed,” McDonald said. He called for continued negotiations but warned the UK against accepting these inflated financial requests.
Mauritius’s push for higher reparations coincides with key political changes, including Ramgoolam’s re-election and the upcoming inauguration of a new U.S. president. Lord McDonald speculated that Ramgoolam might expect shifting international dynamics but cautioned that such assumptions could be misguided.
“If there is no agreement, this will linger maybe for many more years, and if it lingers, that means Mauritians will get nothing,” he warned.
The agreement includes the UK relinquishing sovereignty over the archipelago, which houses Diego Garcia, a crucial UK-US military base. However, skepticism from figures in the incoming Trump administration has further complicated negotiations.
Ramgoolam has publicly stated that the current draft deal does not meet Mauritius’s expectations, prompting a renegotiation.
Earlier this month, the UK and Mauritius issued a joint statement expressing hope to finalize the agreement quickly. However, the significant gap between financial expectations has created a major roadblock.
Lord McDonald stressed the importance of striking a balanced agreement, urging the UK government not to cave to what he termed “crazy money” demands. He warned that prolonged negotiations risk leaving the issue unresolved, ultimately benefiting no one.
As the situation unfolds, the UK is determined to defend its strategic interests while managing complex geopolitical and financial challenges. Both nations remain at odds, and the outcome of the negotiations will likely have lasting implications.
