Britain rejects Chagos deal after criticism from US President Trump

Britain wanted to return the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. Now Andy Burnham's government has rejected the decision after criticism from US President Donald Trump.

The deal cannot be implemented in its current form, said Defense Minister Wes Streeting in an interview with the British broadcaster BBC. He cited a lack of support from the USA as the reason for this.

Trump had previously described the agreement as “terrible” after a meeting with Burnham on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The US President initially approved the agreement, but later changed his mind.

Dispute over the largest island in the archipelago

The deal stipulates that the largest island, Diego Garcia, where Britain and the US operate a joint air base, will remain under British control for at least 99 years. The British are expected to pay billions for this over the years. The air base is considered strategically important for US military actions in the region, but also with regard to China's ambitions to expand its influence there.

The Chagos Archipelago has been claimed by Mauritius for decades. It was separated from the former British colony in 1965, three years before the island nation in the Indian Ocean gained independence.

At that time, the residents were forcibly relocated, mostly to Mauritius. The International Court of Justice in The Hague and the United Nations General Assembly support Mauritius' claim to the Chagos Archipelago.