Mauritius Rejects Report of Trump Administration Plan to Buy Chagos Islands

Mauritius has stated that it has not received any proposal from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the purchase of the Chagos Islands, following a report suggesting the White House was exploring such an option.

In an official statement released on Monday, the Mauritian government said it had taken note of a report published by the Telegraph but emphasized that no formal or informal approach had been made by U.S. officials. The government reiterated that its position on the Chagos Archipelago remains unchanged, stressing that Mauritian sovereignty over the territory is not open for negotiation.

The Telegraph reported that the White House was considering several alternatives related to the future of the strategically important islands. According to the report, one option involved the United States purchasing the Chagos Islands from Mauritius. The proposal was reportedly part of a policy paper intended to offer alternatives to a British plan that would transfer sovereignty of the archipelago from the United Kingdom to Mauritius.

The Chagos Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, are home to the Diego Garcia military base, a key U.S.-British defense facility. The base has long played a significant role in regional and global security operations.

Earlier this year, President Trump criticized the UK-Mauritius agreement, calling it a “big mistake.” In response to concerns surrounding the deal, the British government paused the sovereignty transfer agreement in April.

Under the arrangement announced last year, Britain agreed to return sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius while retaining long-term access to the Diego Garcia base through annual payments estimated at £101 million ($135 million).

The Chagos Islands dispute remains a sensitive international issue. Britain removed up to 2,000 indigenous Chagossians from the islands during the late 1960s and 1970s to facilitate the construction of the military installation on Diego Garcia. The displacement continues to be a major point of contention in discussions about the territory’s future and sovereignty rights.

As debate continues, Mauritius has made clear that any discussions regarding the Chagos Archipelago must respect its claim to sovereignty over the islands.