Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Mauritius’s deputy prime minister has hinted that negotiations with the UK over the future of the Chagos Islands are being held up over the amount of money involved. Under the terms of the original agreement, which was announced in October, the UK would relinquish sovereignty to Mauritius over the archipelago but maintain a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia, home to a major UK-US military airbase. As part of the deal, the UK said it would provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, including annual payments and infrastructure investment, but neither side has said how much is involved. However a new government in Mauritius, elected since the agreement was first made, has said it wants to see some changes. The proposed deal has also attracted criticism in the UK, with the opposition Conservative party calling it a ‘monumental failure of statecraft.'” (12/23/24)