Mauritius considering legal action against UK

The Indian Ocean state’s prime minister has said he is consulting law firms as Britain has yet to ratify the Chagos Islands sovereignty agreement

Mauritius is considering legal action against the UK over delays in ratifying an agreement on the Chagos Archipelago, the island nation’s prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, said on Thursday. 

Speaking to Le Défi Quotidien, Ramgoolam said the government was consulting legal firms while the formal transfer of sovereignty remains pending. 

“We are exploring legal avenues in the Chagos case,” he said, adding that the country is also looking to close a gap of about 10 billion Mauritian rupees ($211 million) in the national budget. 

“We are looking at all possible avenues, but clearly the 2026-27 budget will not be easy,” he added. 

Under an agreement signed in May 2025, the UK should transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the strategically important island of Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period to continue operating the joint US-UK military base there. The facility is widely regarded as a key strategic asset in the Indian Ocean, particularly for US military operations in the Middle East. 

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The lease payments will amount to an estimated $3.9 billion over the period. 

The Chagos Archipelago was administered together with Mauritius by Britain until 1965, three years before the island nation gained independence, and has since been the subject of a long-running sovereignty dispute. 

However, the ratification process has stalled in the British Parliament and is facing increased political scrutiny, especially following criticism from US President Donald Trump. He called the UK’s decision an act of “great stupidity” and “total weakness,” accusing it of giving away “extremely important land” that hosts a “vital US military base.” 

Separately, Mauritius suspended diplomatic relations with the Maldives after the island nation declined to recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on February 27. 

READ MORE: UK delays Chagos Islands debate after Trump pressure – media

The Maldives “no longer recognizes the sovereignty of the Republic of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago, its territorial integrity and is now objecting to the Agreement between Mauritius and the United Kingdom,” according to the Mauritian ministry, explaining its decision.