British MP Proposes Selling Diego Garcia Base to the US
A UK lawmaker has suggested Britain sell the Diego Garcia military base to the United States, adding a new twist to the contested sovereignty dispute with Mauritius.
A British Member of Parliament has proposed that the United Kingdom sell the Diego Garcia military base to the United States, a suggestion that could significantly complicate the ongoing sovereignty dispute between Britain and Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.
Diego Garcia is a strategically vital atoll in the Indian Ocean. It hosts one of the most important joint UK-US military installations in the world, used for naval and air operations across the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. The base has been operated under a long-standing agreement between Washington and London.
The proposal comes at a sensitive moment. The UK and Mauritius reached a landmark agreement in principle in late 2024 under which Britain would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. Under that deal, Mauritius would then lease the Diego Garcia base back to the United Kingdom and the United States for an initial period of 99 years. The agreement was seen as a resolution to one of the longest-running colonial-era territorial disputes in the region.
However, the deal has faced political resistance on multiple fronts. In the United States, senior figures including members of the Trump administration expressed concern that transferring sovereignty to Mauritius could give rival powers, particularly China, a foothold in the Indian Ocean. That pressure led to a pause in finalising the agreement earlier in 2025.
Now, the suggestion from a British MP to simply sell the base to the US outright represents a different approach entirely. Rather than working through a sovereignty transfer and leaseback arrangement with Mauritius, it would involve a direct commercial or strategic transaction between two Western allies. The proposal has not been adopted as official UK government policy, and no price or formal mechanism has been put forward.
For Mauritius, such a sale would be deeply problematic. Port Louis has consistently maintained that the Chagos Islands are an integral part of Mauritian territory, a position supported by a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and a 2021 United Nations General Assembly resolution. Any transaction that bypasses Mauritian sovereignty claims would likely be rejected outright by the Mauritian government and could trigger renewed international legal action.
The Chagossian community, the original inhabitants of the islands who were forcibly removed by Britain in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the military base, also has a direct stake in the outcome. Their right to return remains a core humanitarian element of the broader negotiation.
What this means: This proposal is, for now, a political suggestion rather than a formal policy. But it reflects the broader instability surrounding the Chagos deal and the competing pressures the UK faces from Washington and Port Louis. For Mauritius, it is a reminder that the path to finalising sovereignty remains uncertain, and that the strategic importance of Diego Garcia continues to make it a prize contested well beyond the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Source: Le Defi Media
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Diego Garcia and why is it important to Mauritius?β
Diego Garcia is the largest atoll of the Chagos Archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. Mauritius considers the Chagos Islands part of its territory, a claim backed by a 2019 International Court of Justice advisory opinion. The UK has administered the islands since 1965 and hosts a major joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which is central to Western military operations across the Indian Ocean region.
What is the current status of the UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands deal?β
The UK and Mauritius agreed in principle in late 2024 to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, with Mauritius then leasing the Diego Garcia base back for 99 years. However, the deal has not been finalised due to opposition from figures within the US Trump administration, who raised concerns about strategic security, leaving negotiations in an uncertain state as of mid-2025.
Could the UK legally sell Diego Garcia to the United States without Mauritius's consent?β
This is legally and diplomatically contested. Mauritius disputes British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, and any unilateral transfer of the territory to a third party would almost certainly be challenged under international law. The 2019 ICJ advisory opinion concluded that British administration of the Chagos Islands is unlawful, which would complicate any sale arrangement that excludes Mauritius.
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