A senior politician has claimed the UK’s American allies “will be furious” after the Government reached a deal with Mauritius over the future of the Chagos Archipelago.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and US President Joe Biden have both welcomed the decision.

On October 3 the Government announced that it had reached a deal to recognise that “Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago”.

The archipelago is in the Indian Ocean and contains a joint US-UK military base on the island of Diego Garcia.

The UK still has the right to operate that base “for an initial period of 99 years,” as part of the deal.

Responding to the deal, US President Joe Biden said: “I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of the negotiations between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the status of the Chagos Archipelago.”

Secretary of state Antony Blinken said: “The United States has strongly supported negotiations between the two countries over the past two years and is pleased to see the successful outcome of this diplomatic effort.”

Post on X (archived)

Gov.uk – Joint Statement between UK and Mauritius: 3 October 2024 (archived)

Gov.uk – UK-Mauritius deal to protect national security – safeguarding the operation of strategic military base (archived)

Whitehouse.gov – Statement from President Joe Biden on the Occasion of an Agreement between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the Status of the Chagos Archipelago (archived)

State.gov – Agreement between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the Status of the Chagos Archipelago (archived)