CHAGOS - The sovereignty of the Chagos Islands should no longer be subject to debate, the Mauritian attorney general says.
It comes after Donald Trump called the UK's deal to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius "an act of GREAT STUPIDITY". The UK says the deal protects the UK-US military base there, which was "under threat after court decisions undermined our position". Under the deal - yet to be ratified - the UK would hand over the islands but keep the base under a 99-year lease, which could be extended by 40 years
Trump writes on Truth Social: "Shockingly, our "brilliant" NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER". The Trump administration has previously backed the deal - in May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a "monumental achievement". Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the 99-year lease on the military base will cost the UK £101m a year - BBC Verify has looked at the numbers. (BBC)
