Duval Blames Ramgoolam and Bérenger for Killing Chagos Deal

Xavier-Luc Duval, leader of the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate (PMSD), has issued his sharpest critique yet over the collapse of the Chagos Islands sovereignty agreement, placing the blame squarely on Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and Paul Bérenger, leader of the Mouvement Militant Mauricien's splinter group, the Front Militant Populaire (FMP). "These two people will one day have to answer for the harm they have done to the country," Duval said, pulling no punches in what amounts to a direct political indictment of two of Mauritius's most senior figures. **What happened to the Chagos deal?** The Chagos Islands — a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean that includes Diego Garcia, home to a major UK-US military base — have been the subject of long-running sovereignty talks between Mauritius and the United Kingdom. A landmark agreement, which would have recognised Mauritian sovereignty over the archipelago while allowing the UK and US to continue operating their military base, appeared close to finalisation. However, that deal is now described as frozen and effectively reopened for renegotiation. Duval's accusation is that the Ramgoolam government's attitude torpedoed those negotiations. Specifically, he claims the government attempted to "embarrass" then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by pushing for additional financial compensation beyond what had already been agreed — a move he says was seen as a provocation by both London and Washington. "It was through arrogance that the government believed it could defy the British and the Americans," Duval said, "and we now know the result." He added that Bérenger not only failed to restrain this approach but "perfectly supported and encouraged" Ramgoolam's stance — making him, in Duval's view, equally culpable for the outcome. **Why does this matter?** The Chagos deal was considered a once-in-a-generation diplomatic opportunity for Mauritius. Recovering sovereignty over the archipelago — which was separated from Mauritius before independence in 1968, a move the International Court of Justice later ruled was unlawful — has been a defining national ambition for decades. With the agreement now stalled, the timeline for any resolution is deeply uncertain. The political cost at home is also significant: opposition figures like Duval are using the impasse to challenge the credibility and diplomatic competence of the current government. For ordinary Mauritians, the stakes are both symbolic and material. A finalised deal was expected to bring substantial financial benefits to the country, alongside formal international recognition of Mauritian sovereignty. **What this means** Duval's comments signal that the Chagos question is no longer just a foreign policy issue — it has become a domestic political battleground. With two of the governing alliance's most powerful figures now being held personally responsible by a prominent opposition leader, pressure on Ramgoolam and Bérenger to explain their negotiating strategy is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead. Source: ION News