Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful has pledged that the country will “spare no effort” to reclaim the Chagos Islands, a strategically important archipelago in the Indian Ocean that hosts a major US-UK military base on Diego Garcia.
Ramful made the statement on Saturday during an Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, reaffirming the country’s long-standing push to complete what it describes as the decolonisation of the territory.
He said Mauritius would pursue all diplomatic and legal channels to achieve its goal, insisting the matter is one of justice.
“We will spare no effort to seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process in this part of the Indian Ocean,” he said.
The renewed push comes after the United Kingdom indicated it may suspend plans to return the islands unless the United States supports the proposed agreement. US President Donald Trump has previously criticised the arrangement, calling it “an act of great stupidity.”
Britain’s position was further clarified by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office, which said the deal would only proceed with US backing, amid concerns that the legislation could run out of parliamentary time without being passed.
Mauritius Attorney General Gavin Glover said the latest setback was not unexpected, attributing it to strained relations between Washington and London.
He noted that progress on the deal remains dependent on consensus between both allies.
Mauritius is expected to hold talks with the British government on April 22 to further discuss the future of the Chagos agreement, as negotiations continue over the long-disputed territory.
