Mauritius refuses to sign the agreement drawn up with Great Britain concerning the restitution of Chagos. The Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, believes that negotiations must continue. The 99-year, renewable lease for the American forces base at Diego-Garcia and the sum allocated to the sister island are still blocking the signing of the treaty. If the British and Americans are in a hurry, the Mauritians are not!
At the end of last week, the signing of an agreement between Mauritius and Great Britain on the sovereignty of Chagos was considered. Saturday January 18, while everyone was expecting the formalization, the Mauritian Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, dampened the enthusiasm of the British by announcing the continuation of the discussions.
In an interview carried out by L'Express de Maurice, the head of government reveals that, on Christmas Eve, the American Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken called him to encourage him to renegotiate with the British and to initial the future treaty, on Chagos, before the future president of the United States, Donald Trump, takes office.
The Mauritian delegation led by the Attorney General was open to discussion. The blockages were about to be lifted regarding the future of Diego-Garcia, whether on the sum allocated by Great Britain to repair the damage, or the maintenance of the American base of the US Air Force.
A potential agreement was even reached in the middle of the week. However, this market between Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the Chagos was called into question following the intervention of Donald Trump. The President of the United States wants to keep the US Air Force base in Diego-Garcia. He wishes to obtain assurances from Mauritius that it will not allow China to install a naval air base on one of the fifty-five other islands.
-Mauritius, for its part, is waiting for things to calm down. The Attorney General, at the head of the Mauritian delegation, responsible for negotiating the return of the archipelago to the quadricolor, stressed that the government would be patient. Furthermore, Mauritian officials underline in Defimédia: “A Chinese military base on another island in the archipelago”,…“this won't happen“.
Clearly, part of the path has already been traced, it remains to be seen whether the new American president wishes to take it.
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