Britain could regret handing over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
Spectator (UK)Oct 04
Report: Trump Team Opposes Transfer of Chagos Islands From UK to Mauritius
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Above: British Chagossians demonstrate in Westminster asking for the right to determine their own future on Oct. 7, 2024, in London, England. Image copyright: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A report by The Independent claims that US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's transition team has sought legal advice from the Pentagon on how to veto the UK's decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to the East African country of Mauritius.
In October, the UK announced that it was to hand over the British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT), which it had removed from Mauritian sovereignty in 1965 — three years before the country was granted independence from the UK.
The Spin
Left narrative
The displacement of the Chagossians and annexation of the archipelago from Mauritius is a stain on British history, reminding the country of its dark past. This deal, a product of ongoing negotiations by successive governments, is a non-partisan step towards correcting the UK's colonial wrongs while preserving its strategic interests in Diego Garcia. The US and UK will not be harmed by this deal in any way, and thus have a duty to provide justice to the Chagossians.
Right narrative
Donald Trump's administration is the UK's only hope to see an end to the virtue signaling and see a return of the Chagos Islands to British rule. With the Pres.-elect's incoming team rightly setting its sights on China, allowing the UK to cede vitally important strategic territory in the Indian Ocean must not be tolerated. It is a stark reminder of life under Starmer's naïve Labour leadership that British interests are only being protected by foreign allies.
