Keir Starmer is meeting Donald Trump to discuss the Chagos Islands deal, highlighting that rejecting Mauritius’s claim could lead to increased tensions similar to those in the South China Sea. The agreement involves the UK leasing the islands to Mauritius for 99 years, maintaining control over the strategic US base at Diego Garcia. The UK seeks to navigate these complexities amid shifting US political dynamics and emphasize the deal’s importance for regional stability.
Keir Starmer is scheduled to engage with Donald Trump to highlight the potential repercussions of rejecting Mauritius’s claim to the Chagos Islands. He will underscore that such a decision might increase tensions akin to those surrounding the South China Sea. While their primary focus will be Ukraine, discussions will also include a UK initiative for Gaza’s reconstruction that supports Palestinian residency in the area.
Starmer’s delegation plans to discuss the controversial deal regarding the Chagos Islands, where the UK pays Mauritius for a 99-year lease. This location is crucial as it houses the strategic US military base at Diego Garcia, and is referred to as Britain’s last African colony. The UK intends to frame the agreement as a security measure rather than a commitment to international law, which holds less significance for the Trump administration.
The UK has faced backlash over the decision to shift control of the islands to Mauritius, although the British government will retain authority over them for nearly a century under the arrangement. Initially negotiated under the Conservative government, the interim agreement has encountered re-evaluation following the re-election of Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.
Some UK Conservative members have actively lobbied Trump to reject the agreement, complicating relations for the Starmer administration. The previous agreement, backed by the outgoing Biden administration, faced challenges as the new Trump administration reviews its strategic implications for Diego Garcia. The UK hopes that previous Pentagon support will continue under the new defense secretary, Peter Hegseth.
The UK anticipates a US decision soon, with the risk that a veto could force a withdrawal from the draft agreement with Mauritius. Although the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in 2019 acknowledged Mauritius’s claim to the islands, the UK believes that a binding decision is inevitable, which could impact international maritime law and third-party services on the islands.
The UK maintains that finalizing a deal is essential to mitigate the geopolitical complexities surrounding the US lease of the military base. Failure to conclude the agreement could enable China to leverage the islands’ disputed status to establish military infrastructure, paralleling tensions in the South China Sea. Downing Street has stressed that operations at the base may be jeopardized without an agreement.
While UK officials have declined to disclose the exact cost of the lease to British taxpayers, they refute claims of an £18 billion total. Notably, the arrangement is designed to be front-loaded, and certain components will adjust for inflation. The strategic base was established following the dislocation of the native Chagossians in the 1960s and 1970s, further complicating the historical context of ownership claims. The UK government has disputed suggestions of ties between the Mauritian government and China, asserting that India remains the dominant regional influence.
In conclusion, Keir Starmer is set to communicate the importance of the Chagos Islands deal to Donald Trump, emphasizing the potential geopolitical instability that could arise from the US rejecting Mauritius’s sovereignty claim. The outcome of these discussions may have significant implications for international relations and regional security, particularly concerning military operations at Diego Garcia and the presence of China in the Indian Ocean.
Original Source: www.theguardian.com
