Mauritius responded Tuesday to US President Donald Trump’s criticism over a deal with Britain granting it sovereignty over the strategic Chagos Islands, saying the issue was no longer up for debate.
“The sovereignty of the Republic of Mauritius over the Chagos archipelago is already recognised without ambiguity under international law and should no longer be a subject for debate,” said Mauritian Attorney General Gavin Glover in a statement.
The Chagos agreement will see Britain hand the archipelago — some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) northeast of Mauritius — to its former colony and pay to lease the US-UK military base there for a century.
Trump, who endorsed the deal when it was signed in May last year, posted on social media Tuesday that the UK “giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired”.
Mauritius’ attorney general said they had “taken note” of Trump’s comments on the deal which “occurs in a larger geopolitical context involving the respective positions of several international partners, notably on the question of Greenland.
“This evolution comes after the treaty concluded between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius was described by the United States as an historic accord. As such, it raises certain questions.”
Britain insisted the agreement, which is in the final stages of being scrutinised in parliament, would go ahead despite Trump’s U-turn.
“We take note with satisfaction of the first statements by the British government confirming that the accord conforms with international law and reaffirming its intention to ratify it,” Glover said.
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