UK suspends handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius due to US opposition
The archipelago is home to the British-U.S. military base of Diego Garcia.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer during an appearance
(AFP) The United Kingdom announced Saturday that it is suspending its plan to return the Chagos Archipelago, home to the British-U.S. military base at Diego Garcia, to Mauritius due to a lack of "support" from Washington, D.C.
London agreed in May last year to hand over to Mauritius this archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, following a recommendation issued in 2019 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Under the agreement, the British would nevertheless keep for 99 extendable years, and in exchange for rent, the base of Diego Garcia, of great strategic value.
Initially, President Donald Trump expressed his support, but in recent months he criticized the deal, and the issue became a sticking point between the two powers.
LATEST
