US government considering purchase of Chagos Islands from Mauritius, according to newspaper report

Accordingly, the White House has drafted a paper containing several options aimed at presenting alternatives to prevent British Prime Minister Keir Starmer from ceding sovereignty over the island chain in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. This is one of several options to prevent British Prime Minister Keir Starmer from ceding sovereignty over the island chain in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. The Reuters news agency said it had not been able to immediately confirm the report.

A US government official told Reuters that President Donald Trump consistently holds the position that Great Britain must not give up the territory. Diego Garcia is an indispensable military base of enormous importance to US national security. Washington is in regular exchange with London to maintain the island as a regional security anchor.

Significance of Diego Garcia

The backdrop to the new initiative is an already negotiated agreement between Great Britain and Mauritius that provides for the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. The British government had put its agreement on the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands on ice in April. Maintaining long-term operational control and security of Diego Garcia is the sole basis for the agreement between Great Britain and Mauritius. Both countries are well aware of the lasting risks to the jointly operated base.

The Chagos Islands are home to the US-British air base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The base is of great significance to Washington both for military operations in the Middle East and for surveillance and logistics tasks in the region. A direct takeover by the US would replace the previous joint use with Great Britain.

Reactions and possible consequences

A British government spokesman said the government had inherited a situation in which British control over the military base had been under threat. There had been a need for action to protect national interests and prevent adversaries from gaining a foothold in the geopolitically significant region. In doing so, the government indirectly pointed to the growing strategic competition with China in the Indian Ocean.

Trump had criticized the plans in February as a "great mistake." Since then, the US government had repeatedly expressed its displeasure over a possible transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius. With the move now made public through the Telegraph report, Washington is increasing pressure on London in the dispute.

Should Washington actually enter into direct negotiations with Mauritius, this would place considerable strain on US-British relations. The two countries are traditionally close allies and have shared use of the base for decades. Such a step would also further complicate the ongoing talks over the future of the island chain.

Mauritius had fundamentally supported the British agreement but at the same time made clear that any final solution would have to provide for the return of the islands to the island state. A direct sale to the US would represent a considerable deviation from this course for Mauritius and would have to be renegotiated.

According to the report, the US considerations are still at an early stage. Whether the White House will actually submit a formal offer to Mauritius is currently unclear. The British government has also not yet publicly commented on the specific plan.