British PM Keir Starmer hails deal, which allows UK to retain control of strategic UK-US airbase, as ‘absolutely vital’.

The British government has finalised a deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a court-ordered injunction briefly delayed the signing, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Starmer said the deal is “absolutely vital for our defence and intelligence, and therefore, for the safety and security of the British people”.

The multibillion-dollar agreement will allow the United Kingdom to retain control of the strategically important US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia, the largest island of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, under a 99-year lease.

“The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain,” Starmer said.

“By agreeing to this deal now, on our terms, we’re securing strong protections, including from malign influence, that will allow the base to operate well into the next century,” he added.

The signing comes just hours after a High Court judge early on Thursday imposed an injunction postponing Starmer’s virtual signing ceremony with Mauritian representatives.

Judge Martin Chamberlain lifted the injunction following a hearing later in the day, clearing the way for the UK to sign the deal.

The court’s injunction was in response to a claim by two Chagossian women representing the islands’ original residents, who were evicted decades ago to make way for the airbase.

Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British citizens, said they feared it would become even harder to return once Mauritius takes control of the islands.

High Court judge Julian Goose had blocked the UK government from taking any “conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations” to hand over the territory to a foreign government.

Following the injunction’s removal, Pompe said it was “a very sad day” and vowed to continue fighting. “We do not want to hand over our rights to Mauritius. We are not Mauritians,” she said outside the High Court.

“The rights we are asking for now, we have been fighting for for 60 years,” Pompe said, adding, “Mauritius is not going to give that to us.”

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who had questioned the deal when he took office for the second time last November, said in a televised broadcast on Thursday that it symbolised the completion of “the total process of decolonisation”.

“It’s total recognition of our sovereignty on the Chagos, including Diego Garcia,” said Ramgoolam, speaking in the local Creole language.

US welcomes ‘historic’ accord

The UK, which has controlled the area since 1814, separated the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.

In the early 1970s, the government evicted about 1,500 residents to Mauritius and Seychelles to make way for the Diego Garcia airbase on the largest island.

In October, the government announced a draft agreement to hand the islands to Mauritius and allow the UK and the US to continue using the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.

US President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, gave its approval. However, finalising the agreement was delayed by a change in government in Mauritius and reported last-minute negotiations over costs.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the signing of the “historic” accord on Thursday.

“We commend both the United Kingdom and Mauritius for their leadership, vision, and commitment to ensure that Diego Garcia remains fully operational for the duration of this agreement,” Rubio said in a statement.

“We look forward to working closely with both governments to strengthen our collaboration in support of regional peace and stability.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and news agencies