British House of Commons: Urgency of ratifying Chagos agreement

The Conservatives are putting significant pressure on the Labour administration in the British Parliament. They are demanding that Donald Trump give his approval before England cedes sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius.

Nigel Farage is even calling for a referendum among the Chagossians before moving forward with what he calls a "rotten" agreement. Defence Minister Luke Pollard, for his part, is defending the agreement in principle.

British House of Commons: Urgency of ratifying Chagos agreement before Trump's mandate questioned

The issue of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago resurfaced on Monday with a heated debate in the House of Commons. British Defence Secretary Luke Pollard faced a series of urgent questions about the deal that could see the UK cede sovereignty over the Chagos. During the parliamentary session, opposition Defence Secretary James Cartlidge raised concerns about the speed with which the government appears to be finalising the deal. He said it was premature to conclude such a deal before the Trump administration took office and called on the government to hold off on ratifying the treaty until the new US president takes office.

“Why is the honorable member in such a hurry to get this done? It would be to the government's advantage to allow this House to debate the agreed text in public before it is signed. It stretches incredulity to tell the House that there have been no discussions at all with the incoming administration at all?” asked Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, for his part, stressing that the text of the agreement should be debated publicly before any final signature.

It is worth noting that Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has also called for an independent review of the agreement, arguing that it is crucial that the situation be analysed in light of the views of the Mauritian authorities before ceding any sovereignty over the islands. Navin Ramgoolam has expressed reservations about the agreement reached by his predecessor with the United Kingdom. He has also expressed surprise at the finalisation of the details of the agreement barely a month before the general elections. In response to questions from the opposition, the British government has insisted that the agreement has the full support of the United States, specifying that the validation process by the relevant American agencies has been rigorous.

However, Trump ally Nigel Farage has been critical of the move, saying the Trump administration, which takes office in January 2025, would be “shocked” by the deal and that it has “no chance of surviving” under the new government. He insisted that the deal is “disastrous” for both the UK and the US, and even more so for the Chagossians, who have been fighting for decades to reclaim their homeland.

The proposed deal would see Britain cede sovereignty over the Chagos while retaining joint management with the United States of a military base on Diego Garcia. The British government justified the move by highlighting the base’s strategic importance to global security, particularly for the United States. However, this situation does not seem to convince all political parties. The transfer of the Chagos remains a complex issue, not only for diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, but also for the Chagossians, who are still seeking justice and the right to decide the fate of their island after being expelled in the 1960s.

As negotiations continue, questions about whether such an agreement can be concluded before the change of administration in the United States and the opinion of the Mauritian authorities remain on the table.