THE UK government has been temporarily stopped from finalising a deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, after a High Court judge granted an injunction on Thursday.
The injunction prevents Britain from going ahead with an agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while allowing the UK to keep control of the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean.
The proposed deal, which was first announced in October, includes a 99-year lease for the UK to retain the base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago.
The injunction was issued after legal action brought by Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British nationals born on Diego Garcia.
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The Telegraph reported that prime minister Keir Starmer had been expected to attend a virtual signing ceremony with officials from the Mauritian government.
In 1965, Britain separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius – which became independent in 1968 – to establish the British Indian Ocean Territory.
No official financial terms of the deal have been made public, though media reports have estimated the cost to Britain at 9 billion pounds.
US president Donald Trump, who took office in November, expressed his support for the agreement in February following a meeting with Starmer in Washington. Former president Joe Biden had also backed the deal.
(With inputs from agencies)
