Chagos Islands deal signed
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A ceremony transferring sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was called off at the last moment after the High Court in London granted an injunction to islanders.
The UK has signed a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, and lease back the military base there for £101m a year. We use cookies to give you the best online experience. Strictly necessary cookies are on by default. Additional cookies are off by default.
A High Court judge has temporarily blocked Sir Keir Starmer from handing the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The Prime Minister was set to attend a “virtual signing ceremony” with representatives from the Mauritian government to confirm the controversial handover deal.
Mauritius and Russia have agreed to strengthen ties, amid fears that the UK was too hasty in deciding to hand over the Chagos Islands.
The government has put the much-contested Chagos islands deal ‘on hold’ after outcry from Labour backbenchers. The deal would see sovereignty over the Chagos islands returned to Mauritius, but with the UK and US paying to continue military operations on the islands.