Mauritius is reportedly in “no rush” to secure a Chagos Island deal with the UK before Donald Trump takes office.
Officials have told The Telegraph that the Mauritian government is pushing for more money, after being offered £9billion over 99 years by the UK for continued use of the Diego Garcia airbase.
Uncertainty is growing in Government amid fears that the deal could collapse with the inauguration of Trump, who has been very vocal about his opposition to Britain handing over territory to a country with close ties to China.
A Mauritian official said the money offered was “insufficient” to close the deal and that the wording of the October 3 agreement on sovereignty was “excessively restrictive”.
Speaking to The Telegraph, they said: “We want to iron out the differences on sovereignty, lease terms and finances before signing the deal. There is no rush from our side and until our terms are met, there will be no deal.”
Mauritian Prime Minister Nevin Ramgoolam and his government are looking to renegotiate three terms of the October 3 agreement.
They say the 99-year lease of Diego Garcia is too long, the clause allowing the UK to exercise sovereignty is too restrictive and they want “fair and equitable compensation”.
The deal currently on the table would pay the Island country almost £91million a year.
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However, Ramgoolam is now reportedly demanding £800m a year, along with billions of pounds in reparations.
He said: “The lease amount should be revised upwards given it’s largely insufficient (for the use of Diego Garcia).
"We have proposed 'frontloading' the annual rent, which involves paying a larger sum during the first years of the lease and a reduced amount thereafter.”
There is speculation that the agreement will be damaged when Trump takes office on January 20. Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly looking to sign the document and enforce it before then.
The proposed deal would mean Britain would hand over the islands to Mauritius while securing long-term use of the air base on Diego Garcia.
People in Mauritius are afraid that Trump could derail the deal, costing the country millions.
University scholar Nowsheen Lall said: “It’s no secret that the Labour Government and Trump’s camp don’t get along, with people like Elon Musk openly criticising Sir Keir Starmer.
“The Mauritian government is leveraging this tension to buy time and negotiate a more favourable financial settlement.
"The ultimate goal is to secure the agreement before any significant geopolitical shifts occur once Trump takes office.”
At the same time, former Royal Navy chief Admiral Lord West of Spithead is urging Starmer to abandon the deal, which he has branded as “irresponsible”.
Speaking to Politico, Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, also expressed his worries that the deal would permit China to gather valuable intelligence on America’s naval support facility.
He said: “This poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical US military posture in the region.”
China has increased its presence in the region in recent years, also establishing a military base in Djibouti in 107 and signing a free trade agreement with Mauritius in 2021.
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Officials have told The Telegraph that the Mauritian government is pushing for more money, after being offered £9billion over 99 years by the UK for continued use of the Diego Garcia airbase.
Uncertainty is growing in Government amid fears that the deal could collapse with the inauguration of Trump, who has been very vocal about his opposition to Britain handing over territory to a country with close ties to China.
A Mauritian official said the money offered was “insufficient” to close the deal and that the wording of the October 3 agreement on sovereignty was “excessively restrictive”.
Speaking to The Telegraph, they said: “We want to iron out the differences on sovereignty, lease terms and finances before signing the deal. There is no rush from our side and until our terms are met, there will be no deal.”
Mauritian Prime Minister Nevin Ramgoolam and his government are looking to renegotiate three terms of the October 3 agreement.
They say the 99-year lease of Diego Garcia is too long, the clause allowing the UK to exercise sovereignty is too restrictive and they want “fair and equitable compensation”.
The deal currently on the table would pay the Island country almost £91million a year.
MORE LIKE THIS:
- UK offers to FRONTLOAD Mauritius payments to conclude Chagos Islands deal before Trump inauguration
- Mauritius 'demanded £800m' from Britain every YEAR for Chagos Islands - plus BILLIONS in reparations
- Chagos Islands under threat AGAIN as now Maldives stakes claim to strategic territory
However, Ramgoolam is now reportedly demanding £800m a year, along with billions of pounds in reparations.
He said: “The lease amount should be revised upwards given it’s largely insufficient (for the use of Diego Garcia).
"We have proposed 'frontloading' the annual rent, which involves paying a larger sum during the first years of the lease and a reduced amount thereafter.”
There is speculation that the agreement will be damaged when Trump takes office on January 20. Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly looking to sign the document and enforce it before then.
The proposed deal would mean Britain would hand over the islands to Mauritius while securing long-term use of the air base on Diego Garcia.
People in Mauritius are afraid that Trump could derail the deal, costing the country millions.
University scholar Nowsheen Lall said: “It’s no secret that the Labour Government and Trump’s camp don’t get along, with people like Elon Musk openly criticising Sir Keir Starmer.
“The Mauritian government is leveraging this tension to buy time and negotiate a more favourable financial settlement.
"The ultimate goal is to secure the agreement before any significant geopolitical shifts occur once Trump takes office.”
At the same time, former Royal Navy chief Admiral Lord West of Spithead is urging Starmer to abandon the deal, which he has branded as “irresponsible”.
Speaking to Politico, Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, also expressed his worries that the deal would permit China to gather valuable intelligence on America’s naval support facility.
He said: “This poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean and threatens critical US military posture in the region.”
China has increased its presence in the region in recent years, also establishing a military base in Djibouti in 107 and signing a free trade agreement with Mauritius in 2021.
Find Out More...