US Considers Buying Chagos Islands to Bypass UK and Secure Key Base

(Central News Agency, London, 7th, Comprehensive Foreign News) The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday that the White House is considering buying the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, a move aimed at preventing the UK from transferring sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago, which hosts a crucial military base, to Mauritius.

According to Reuters, US officials have drafted a proposal to negotiate control of Diego Garcia directly, without going through the UK. Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and hosts a strategically vital joint US-UK military base.

The report indicates that this plan is one of several options being drafted by the White House to provide an alternative for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the plan of transferring sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius.

A US official stated, "President Trump's position has always been consistent that the UK should not give up the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes the joint US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia atoll."

The US official added that Diego Garcia's strategic location in the Indian Ocean is extremely important and holds significant meaning for US national security. The US will continue regular consultations with the UK to maintain its viability as a regional security platform.

The UK government had previously agreed with Mauritius to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands but announced in April of this year that it was shelving the plan. US President Donald Trump criticized the UK agreement in February, calling it a "major mistake."

A UK government spokesperson said, "When this government took office, the long-term control of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat. Action was necessary to protect UK national interests and prevent hostile forces from gaining a foothold in this strategically significant location."

The spokesperson added, "Diego Garcia is a vital strategic military asset for both the UK and the US, safeguarding our shared security for nearly 60 years. Ensuring its long-term operation and security is the entire basis of the UK-Mauritius agreement, which was reached with the full understanding of the actual risks by both the UK and the US."

The UK has controlled this area of the Indian Ocean since 1814. It separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965, forming the British Indian Ocean Territory. Mauritius gained independence from British rule three years later.

In 1966, the UK government leased Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, to the US. The two countries later built an airbase on the island, forcibly relocating approximately 2,000 people.

Diego Garcia served as a crucial base during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, with the US military using it as a launch platform for long-range bombers. (Editor: Qu Xiangping) 1150608