The Pulse | Security | South Asia

Chagos Conundrum Complicates India’s Indian Ocean Outreach

India played an important behind-the-scenes role in brokering the U.K.-Mauritius deal over the Chagos Archipelago. Trump has now criticized that deal.

Aerial view of Diego Garcia as seen on Feb 9, 2006.

The agreement that the United Kingdom made with Mauritius, transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to the latter, even as it would lease back Diego Garcia for a period of 99 years, is now facing trouble from Donald Trump. The American president criticized the deal on Truth Social, calling it an “act of total weakness” and saying that the U.K. should “not give away Diego Garcia,” where a key joint U.S.-U.K. military base has been located since the 1970s. U.K ministers have said that London would not go ahead with the deal if Trump did not accept it.

The implications of these developments will have a significant impact on India, which describes itself as the “preferred security partner” for the Indian Ocean region.

Negotiations over questions surrounding the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago between the U.K. and Mauritius began in 2022 and concluded in October 2024 with an agreement that transfers sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius, with U.K. retaining the “rights and authorities” over Diego Garcia. A formal agreement on sovereignty handover was signed on May 25, 2025, but the ratification process is not yet complete.

The joint statement announcing the agreement acknowledged the “support and assistance” received from both India and the United States in reaching the “political agreement.” Both New Delhi and Washington released statements in support of the agreement, with the U.S. describing it as reflecting the “enduring strength of the U.S.-U.K. relationship.”

The agreement, however, is contingent on “finalization of a treaty and supporting legal instruments,” which is now facing significant hurdles. Domestically, within the U.K., the conservative opposition party has been critical of the agreement, arguing that it breaches international law and puts the defense facility at risk due to Mauritius’ ties to Russia and China. Subsequently, the government has delayed further debate on ratification of the treaty in the House of Lords, after the opposition tabled an amendment calling for a pause “in light of the changing geopolitical circumstances” in January this year. This comes amidst Trump publicly claiming London was “making a big mistake” by handing sovereignty over to Mauritius, adding that such a move would be a “blight on our Great Ally.” The U.S. State Department, however, posted a media note on February 17, announcing that “United States supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement.”

Meanwhile, the Maldives has also shifted its position on the Chagos Archipelago. On February 2, President Mohamed Muizzu said that Malé would end recognition of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and claim overlapping waters, reversing his predecessor Ibrahim Solih’s policy and moving away from the 2023 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) settlement.

Following this, the Maldives National Defense Force launched a special operation in the disputed zone, intercepting two Sri Lankan fishing vessels engaged in illegal activities. Muizzu has even offered to........

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