Ramgoolam Flies to London to Revive Stalled Chagos Talks

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has made a trip to London in a bid to restart stalled negotiations over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands — one of the most consequential and long-running diplomatic disputes involving Mauritius. **What is the Chagos dispute?** The Chagos Archipelago, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), is a group of islands in the central Indian Ocean that Mauritius has long claimed as its own. The islands were detached from Mauritius by Britain in 1965 — three years before Mauritian independence — in what international courts and tribunals have since ruled was illegal under international law. The largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a major joint US-UK military base, which has made the sovereignty question politically sensitive far beyond the region. In 2022, the United States and United Kingdom entered into formal negotiations with Mauritius to resolve the dispute. A draft agreement was announced in October 2024 that would have seen the UK cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while retaining a long-term lease on the Diego Garcia base. **Why are talks stalled?** The deal hit turbulence when the new UK government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer signalled it needed more time to review the terms, and pressure from the United States — particularly under the returning Trump administration — cast further doubt on the agreement. Washington has historically opposed any arrangement that could complicate US military access to Diego Garcia, a strategically critical facility used for operations across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The negotiations have since remained in limbo, with no signed agreement and growing uncertainty about whether the original framework will survive. **Ramgoolam's London visit** Prime Minister Ramgoolam — who returned to power following the November 2024 general election — is now in London seeking direct high-level engagement to get the process moving again. Specific details of his meetings have not been disclosed, but the visit signals Mauritius's intent to keep the pressure on and prevent the deal from collapsing entirely. **What this means** For Mauritius, the Chagos question is both a matter of national sovereignty and a potential source of significant economic and strategic leverage. A finalised agreement could bring long-term lease revenues, the right of return for displaced Chagossians, and a historic diplomatic win for Port Louis. Failure to close the deal would leave Mauritius without legal recognition of territory it has claimed for decades — and sideline a ruling already delivered in its favour by the International Court of Justice in 2019. The outcome of Ramgoolam's London meetings is being closely watched by regional governments, international legal scholars, and the Chagossian diaspora community. Source: Le Défi Media