Donald Trump has sharply criticised the United Kingdom’s agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, a deal intended to resolve a decades-long dispute over the territory and the future of the strategically important Diego Garcia military base. The intervention from the former US president came just a day after the United States Department of State formally approved the arrangement.
Trump warned on Wednesday that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “making a big mistake” by agreeing to return sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia, a key military installation operated jointly by the US and UK. He voiced his concerns in a post on his Truth Social platform, questioning the legitimacy of claims to the islands and suggesting they were based on “entities never known of before,” which he described as “fictitious in nature.”
The Chagos Islands, located in the central Indian Ocean, became part of British territory in 1814. The UK detached the islands from Mauritius ahead of the latter’s independence in 1965. In the 1960s and 70s, the British government forcibly removed the islands’ inhabitants, known as Chagossians, to Mauritius and the Seychelles, to make way for the construction of a military base on Diego Garcia, leased to the United States.
Mauritius successfully challenged the UK’s claim to the islands at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019, with the court advising the UK to cede control. This ruling was followed by a United Nations resolution in 2023 giving the UK six months to return the archipelago. The current agreement represents the UK’s response to these international pressures.
Under the terms of the deal, the UK will maintain a 99-year lease of Diego Garcia, with an option to extend, at a cost of approximately £100 million ($135m) per year. A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the agreement on Wednesday, stating that it was “crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe.” The spokesperson added that the agreement was “the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base.”
This is not the first time Trump has weighed in on the Chagos Islands issue. He initially criticised the agreement in January, but after a conversation with Starmer earlier in February, he indicated a more positive view, stating that the British prime minister had secured “the best deal he could.” Wednesday’s outburst represents a significant reversal of that position.
Beyond the immediate dispute over sovereignty and the military base, Trump’s statement also raised concerns about the strategic importance of Diego Garcia in the context of escalating tensions with Iran. He warned that the base, along with the airfield at RAF Fairford in the UK, “may be necessary for the United States to use… in order to eradicate a potential attack” from Iran, should negotiations over its nuclear program fail. He suggested such an attack “would potentially be made” on the UK and other allied nations.
The timing of Trump’s intervention is particularly noteworthy, given the stalled negotiations with Iran and the increasing volatility in the Middle East. The US maintains a significant military presence in the region, and Diego Garcia serves as a crucial logistical hub for operations in the Indian Ocean and beyond. The base has been used for missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones.
The fate of the Chagossians, who have been fighting for decades to return to their ancestral homeland, remains a central element of the dispute. Many were resettled in Mauritius and the Seychelles, while others migrated to the United Kingdom. Their legal battles to reclaim their right of return have faced numerous obstacles, and the current agreement does not fully address their concerns.
Trump concluded his post by urging the UK to “remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them,” a comment that appears to be a broader critique of the current political climate in the UK. The statement underscores the complex interplay of geopolitical strategy, historical grievances, and domestic political considerations surrounding the Chagos Islands dispute.
The UK government’s decision to pursue the lease agreement reflects a desire to balance its international obligations, maintain a vital military asset, and address the concerns of the Chagossian community. However, the continued intervention from Washington, and particularly the shifting positions of Donald Trump, adds a layer of uncertainty to the future of the islands and the strategic landscape of the Indian Ocean.
