Mauritius holds out on Chagos Islands deal again

Mauritius has rejected Sir Keir Starmer's deal to hand the Chagos Islands over to the country, in a humiliating blow for the prime minister.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

A day after the country’s deputy prime minister said Britain was “quibbling over a small amount” of money in last minute talks to save the deal, Mauritian PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam said there were still parts of the deal he “did not agree” with.

Sir Keir negotiated the deal, which would cede sovereignty over the islands – also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory – but lease back the strategically important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, with Mr Ramgoolam’s predecessor.

But after taking power, Mr Ramgoolam said he would not finalise the agreement as it “would not produce the benefits the nation could expect”.

He said the new Mauritian administration has submitted its own suggestions to the UK, which has now responded with its counter-proposals.