US Criticism Prompts UK to Halt Chagos Sovereignty Transfer

The United Kingdom government has officially placed its planned transfer of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius under review, admitting that the sovereignty agreement cannot move forward in its current form without the explicit backing of the United States.

British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed to the BBC that London has frozen annual financial disbursements to Mauritius—amounting to at least £120 million per year—while ministers work to revise the pact. He explained that the treaty cannot proceed without American approval, noting that US President Donald Trump made his opposition clear during bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

advertisement

advertisement

Streeting emphasised that British officials must now work with Washington to adjust the deal to safeguard the long-term security of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.

The British review follows President Trump’s public criticism of the treaty, where he denounced its terms and questioned the logic of transferring the surrounding territory. Prime Minister Burnham acknowledged following the summit that the UK would evaluate the arrangement further to ensure the strategic facility remains fully protected.

Amid these transatlantic negotiations and internal reviews, the UK Foreign Office has firmly maintained that the formal question of Chagos sovereignty remains strictly a bilateral matter between Britain and Mauritius, explicitly ruling out third-party involvement from nearby nations like the Maldives.

This stance comes in response to diplomatic efforts by Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who wrote directly to Prime Minister Burnham requesting to reopen discussions over the archipelago. A spokesperson for the Maldivian government expressed deep disappointment that the Maldives was not consulted before former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius—an agreement initially signed in May 2025, which granted Mauritius sovereignty while leasing Diego Garcia back to Britain for an initial 99 years.

Under President Muizzu, the Maldives reversed its official diplomatic stance on the dispute by withdrawing a 2022 letter written by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih that had supported Mauritius’ claim. The Muizzu administration asserts that deep-rooted historical, cultural, economic, and environmental ties give the Maldives a legitimate stake in decisions governing the Chagos Archipelago, particularly regarding future maritime boundaries, security, and economic policies.

Despite these arguments, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office reiterated that while London routinely engages with Male on various regional issues, the sovereignty framework itself remains strictly non-negotiable for third parties, keeping the process confined exclusively to negotiations between the UK and Mauritius.