London will suspend the project to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius due to lack of support from the North American president, the British Prime Minister’s office reported this Saturday, April 11, stating that discussions with the USA and Mauritius continue.
“We continue to believe that this agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base [militar anglo-americana de Diego Garcia]but we have always stated that we would only move forward if we had the support of the United States”, declared a spokesman for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
Under an agreement signed in May 2025, the United Kingdom was to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius but maintain a 99-year lease on the main island, Diego Garcia, in order to maintain an Anglo-American military base in this strategic region.
Donald Trump had initially given the green light to the deal.
However, in January, Trump vehemently criticized the agreement, which he called a “great stupidity” by London, causing tensions between the two countries.
“Diego Garcia is an essential strategic military asset for both the United Kingdom and the United States. Ensuring his long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority — that is the raison d’être of this agreement,” said the Downing Street spokesperson.
This base had considerable strategic importance for the United Kingdom and the United States during the Cold War and played a key role in the two wars fought by the United States in Iraq (1990-1991, 2003-2011) and in the American bombings in Afghanistan in 2001.
At the time of the deal, Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted there was “no other alternative” and that this was the “only way to maintain the base in the long term”.
Leave a Reply