The UK authorities has denied claims made by the prime minister of Mauritius that it faces paying extra below a renegotiated deal over the way forward for the Chagos Islands.
Final October, the UK introduced it might hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius however preserve a 99-year lease over the UK-US army airbase on the most important island, Diego Garcia.
Nonetheless, shortly after the deal was struck, Mauritius elected a brand new prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, who needed to reopen negotiations. He advised his MPs on Tuesday new circumstances had been negotiated that means the UK’s lease funds can be linked to inflation and frontloaded.
However the UK Overseas Workplace mentioned the figures being quoted had been “inaccurate and deceptive”.
“The UK will solely signal a deal that’s in our nationwide curiosity,” a spokesperson mentioned.
The Mauritian PM had mentioned he was “assured” the brand new deal can be permitted, saying UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had mentioned he meant to “push forward” with the renegotiated deal.
Talking to Mauritian MPs on Tuesday, Ramgoolam railed towards the previous settlement, which he mentioned was a “sell-out” for Mauritius.
“We’ve got to be inflation-proof. What is the level of getting cash after which having half of it by the tip? That is what would occur, we’ve got made the calculations,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, he didn’t reveal the precise quantity the UK would pay, saying: “I am not ready to provide particulars however let me say one thing, that package deal was very badly negotiated.”
He mentioned the previous package deal had additionally been tweaked so the UK would pay extra in “front-loading” originally of the deal. “That is also being permitted I feel,” the Mauritian chief added.
Ramgoolam additionally mentioned the UK would not be capable of unilaterally act on a clause within the deal the place the lease may very well be prolonged for 40 years.
This was additionally denied by the UK authorities with the Overseas Workplace spokesperson saying: “There was no change to the phrases of extension within the treaty.”
Progress on the deal had been paused whereas the UK consulted new US President Donald Trump on the deal.
There had been efforts to get the treaty signed earlier than Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. Nonetheless, the UK modified course, saying it was “completely cheap for the US administration to contemplate the element” of any settlement.
On Tuesday, Downing Avenue reiterated it was “completely proper” for the US to contemplate the deal.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had beforehand raised issues, saying the deal posed a menace to US safety, given China’s affect within the area. Mauritius has an financial relationship with China.
Ramgoolam’s phrases had been additionally famous by the UK authorities’s political opponents on Tuesday,
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow overseas secretary, mentioned Sir Keir had “the audacity to inform the British individuals they’ll foot the invoice and pay for the indignity of his give up of the Chagos Islands, as he isolates the brand new US administration by bending the knee to Mauritius and emboldening our enemies along with his disastrous give up deal”.
Tory chief Kemi Badenoch mentioned the prime minister ought to “come to Parliament and be sincere with MPs” about what she referred to as a “silly deal”.
Reform UK chief Nigel Farage additionally voiced opposition to the deal, saying if the UK ceded sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, “our worth to America” would develop into “significantly lowered”.
The UK took management of the Chagos Islands, or British Indian Ocean Territory, from its then colony, Mauritius, in 1965 and went on to evict its inhabitants of greater than 1,000 individuals to make approach for the Diego Garcia base.
Mauritius, which received independence from the UK in 1968, has maintained the islands are its personal, and the UN’s highest court docket has dominated, in an advisory opinion, that the UK’s administration of the territory is “illegal”.
The Chagos islanders – some in Mauritius and the Seychelles, however others residing within the UK – don’t converse with one voice on the destiny of their homeland.
Some have criticised the deal, saying they weren’t consulted within the negotiations.
