Chagos handover to Mauritius: Prime Minister Andy Burnham reaffirms British commitment
On 21 September 2026, Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who reaffirmed the UK's commitment to return the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius and to work with the United States to enable ratification of the agreement signed on 22 May 2025. Ratification had been suspended in the British Parliament after US President Donald Trump called the agreement an "act of great stupidity" in April. The Mauritian and British foreign ministers are expected to meet on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
Why it matters: This matters for the geoeconomics of the Indian Ocean, where the Chagos handover and the Diego Garcia base remain tied to US-UK strategic interests.