UK's Burnham Wants to Reshape Chagos Deal to Satisfy US
Andy Burnham says the UK is in talks with Washington to rework the Chagos Islands sovereignty deal, possibly using the Greenland model as a template.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he wants to "reshape" the United Kingdom's existing agreement to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after the United States made clear it opposes the deal in its current form.
Speaking to The Economist, Burnham said the UK is actively seeking "a new conversation" with its American allies over the future of the disputed archipelago, which sits in the Indian Ocean and is home to Diego Garcia, one of the most strategically important joint US-UK military bases in the world.
"We are in discussion with our American friends to see how we might reshape this deal so it better meets their concerns," Burnham said. "We are looking at the Greenland arrangement and, clearly, a solution was found there. There may be elements we can draw on to see if there is a workable solution for Diego Garcia. But it is something we are working hard on. It is genuinely challenging."
The original agreement was brokered under former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and would have transferred sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while allowing the UK and US to continue operating the Diego Garcia base under a long-term lease. Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, a position backed by a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and a 2024 United Nations General Assembly resolution.
However, the deal has stalled since Donald Trump returned to the US presidency and signalled strong opposition, arguing that ceding control of such a militarily sensitive location was not in American interests. Some US officials suggested the arrangement should instead resemble Washington's approach to Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory over which Trump has openly expressed a desire to expand American influence.
Burnham's comments confirm that the UK is now exploring whether elements of that Greenland framework, which keeps formal sovereignty with Denmark while the US seeks a larger strategic footprint, could be applied to the Chagos situation.
What this means: For Mauritius, this is a significant development. The country has pursued the Chagos claim for decades, and the Starmer-era deal was seen as a historic breakthrough. Any reshaping of the agreement under US pressure could reduce or delay the sovereignty transfer Mauritius was promised, or introduce conditions that limit Port Louis's effective control over the islands. The Mauritian government and diaspora will be watching closely to see whether the final outcome respects the terms that were originally agreed.
No revised deal has been presented, and negotiations remain ongoing. Burnham acknowledged the difficulty of the talks, describing the situation as a "genuine challenge."
Source: ION News
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chagos Islands deal between the UK and Mauritius?β
The agreement, originally negotiated under UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius. In return, the UK and US would retain the right to operate the Diego Garcia military base under a long-term lease. Mauritius has claimed sovereignty over the archipelago for decades, a position supported by a 2019 International Court of Justice advisory opinion.
Why is the US blocking the Chagos deal?β
The Trump administration has expressed strong opposition to the deal, citing strategic concerns about handing control of Diego Garcia, a critical Indian Ocean military base, to Mauritius. Some US officials have suggested the arrangement should follow the model used with Greenland, where the US seeks greater influence without formal sovereignty changing hands.
What is the Greenland model and how could it apply to Chagos?β
The Greenland model refers to the arrangement where Greenland remains formally under Danish sovereignty but the US holds significant strategic and military presence there. Burnham has suggested the UK is examining whether a similar framework, maintaining Mauritian sovereignty in name while giving the US stronger guarantees over Diego Garcia, could break the current deadlock over the Chagos Islands.
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