Chagos: Ramgoolam received in London, Mauritius refuses to wait indefinitely for ratification

Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam met with British envoy Jonathan Powell in London on October 5, 2026, reports L'Express of Port Louis. The United Kingdom says it prefers the diplomatic route to unblock the ratification of the treaty on the Chagos Archipelago, which has been stalled for over a year due to American strategic considerations surrounding the Diego Garcia base.

A treaty signed, never entered into force

The text was signed on May 22, 2025, and presented to the British Parliament the same day. The twenty-one-day parliamentary review period provided for by the CRAG procedure ended on July 3, 2025, without opposition, according to the House of Commons Library. However, ratification remains suspended pending the adoption of an implementing law, the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill. For its part, Mauritius must complete its own internal procedures.

Ninety-nine years for Diego Garcia

The treaty recognizes Mauritian sovereignty over the archipelago while leasing Diego Garcia for an initial period of ninety-nine years, extendable by an additional forty years by mutual agreement. The United Kingdom will pay 101 million pounds per year, at 2025-2026 prices, totaling approximately 3.4 billion pounds over the entire period, a figure verified by the British government's actuarial department.

The return of the Chagossians, except to the main island

The text authorizes Mauritius to organize the resettlement of the Chagossians on all islands of the archipelago, with the exception of Diego Garcia, and provides for the creation of a marine protected area with British support. For the families deported during the installation of the military base, this is a partial recognition: the right to return exists on paper, but not where the homes, church, and cemetery of their ancestors are located. The case remains a textbook example of unfinished decolonization, where the fate of the inhabitants is addressed after that of military interests.

Washington in the way

The Trump administration has publicly opposed the agreement, notes L'Express. It is this blockage that London is seeking to circumvent without reopening the text. Mauritius says it is ready for dialogue, but considers its sovereignty non-negotiable and warns that it "does not intend to wait indefinitely."

The next steps will therefore play out in the British Parliament, where the schedule for the implementing law has not been set. For Port Louis, every month of delay weakens an achievement obtained after decades of international proceedings—and every month of delay prolongs the exile of the Chagossians.