The United Kingdom has shelved legislation intended to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after the United States withdrew its support for the agreement, оur editorial office The WP Times reports this with reference to The Guardian.

Officials confirmed that there is no longer sufficient time to pass the legislation within the current parliamentary session, which is due to end in the coming weeks. As a result, the bill will not proceed during this legislative period. The proposed legislation concerned the future of the Chagos Islands, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean that includes the territory where the joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia is located.

A UK government spokesperson said:

“Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is, and will continue to be, our priority – it is the entire reason for the deal. We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support.”

Proposed structure of the agreement

Under the proposed arrangement, the United Kingdom would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. At the same time, the UK would lease Diego Garcia for 99 years, allowing continued operation of the joint military base by both the UK and the United States.

The agreement combined two linked elements:

  • transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius
  • long-term leaseback of Diego Garcia for military use

The purpose of the arrangement, as described by UK officials, was to address the sovereignty issue while maintaining operational continuity of the base.

Treaty framework and US procedural status

The Chagos Islands agreement is connected to an existing 1966 UK–US treaty governing the use and operation of the military base at Diego Garcia. According to UK government officials, the United States has not formally completed the necessary diplomatic steps required to amend the treaty framework linked to the islands and the base. UK officials have stated that US support is a required condition for the agreement to proceed. Without such support, the UK has said it will not move forward with the legislation.

The proposed arrangement involves the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, alongside a long-term lease allowing continued UK and US operation of the military facility on Diego Garcia.

US role and treaty framework

According to UK officials, the United States did not complete the necessary diplomatic steps required to amend a 1966 UK-US treaty relating to the islands. This treaty forms part of the legal framework governing the joint military base at Diego Garcia.

The absence of these formal steps contributed to the UK government’s inability to advance the legislation.

US support was described by UK officials as a required condition for the agreement to proceed.

Parliamentary timing and legislative delay

Officials confirmed that the current parliamentary session will end in the coming weeks, leaving insufficient time to complete the required legislative stages.

Because of this timing constraint, the bill cannot be passed during the current session.

The legislation is therefore not expected to be included in the upcoming King’s Speech, which sets out the government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session.

Historical background of the Chagos Islands

The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius in 1965 before Mauritian independence. The islands were then formed into the British Indian Ocean Territory. Mauritius became independent in 1968.

Following the separation, thousands of Chagos islanders were forcibly removed from the islands. Since then, displaced Chagossians have pursued legal claims for compensation in UK courts.

The sovereignty issue has remained unresolved for decades and continues to involve legal and diplomatic discussions between the UK and Mauritius.

Current government position

The UK government stated that it continues to believe the agreement is the best way to secure the long-term future of the military base at Diego Garcia. However, officials also confirmed that the UK would not proceed without US support. The requirement for US support remains a central condition of the proposed arrangement.

The combination of two factors has led to the shelving of the legislation:

  • lack of US support
  • insufficient parliamentary time within the current session

As a result, the proposed transfer of sovereignty cannot proceed at this stage.

The government has been approached for comment on the future of the agreement and whether it may be reintroduced in a future parliamentary session.

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