The United Kingdom has shelved plans to formalise its agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, after failing to secure formal confirmation of support from the United States.
The agreement, signed in May 2025, would have transferred sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius while allowing the UK and the United States to continue operating a joint military base at Diego Garcia under a long-term lease arrangement. However, the absence of a required formal exchange of letters from the US has stalled the process, with insufficient time to pass legislation before Parliament is dissolved.
The delay follows a shift in position from US President Donald Trump, who had previously expressed support for the deal but later criticised it and urged the UK government to reconsider. UK officials have indicated that the agreement has not been abandoned, but it is not expected to be included in the upcoming legislative agenda, leaving its future uncertain.
At the centre of the arrangement is Diego Garcia, a strategically significant military installation that plays a key role in UK and US defence operations. The proposed agreement was intended to secure long-term operational continuity at the base while resolving longstanding sovereignty disputes over the archipelago.
With the deal now delayed, questions over sovereignty remain unresolved. While Mauritius continues to assert its claim to the islands, the pause in formalising the agreement leaves the broader issue open, with no clear timeline for resolution.
The uncertainty also comes as the Maldives has taken a more assertive position on the issue. After previously recognising Mauritian sovereignty, the Maldives has shifted its stance and now maintains that it has a legitimate claim over the archipelago, citing geographical proximity and historical links. This change has added another dimension to the dispute, which had largely been framed as a bilateral matter between the UK and Mauritius.
The Maldives’ position has already affected relations with Mauritius, which has suspended diplomatic ties following actions in contested waters. While the dispute remains diplomatic, the evolving positions of the parties involved suggest that the issue may take longer to resolve than initially anticipated.
For the United Kingdom, the delay represents both a legislative and diplomatic setback, particularly given the importance of securing long-term arrangements for Diego Garcia. For countries in the region, including the Maldives, the situation introduces continued uncertainty around the future of the archipelago and the broader framework governing its administration.
