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Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful on Saturday said the country would pursue all available diplomatic and legal channels to regain control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, where the Diego Garcia military base is jointly used by the United States and the United Kingdom.
He made the remarks at an Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, stressing that the government remained committed to completing what he described as the decolonisation process in the region and would continue efforts until the issue is resolved.
Ramful said the country would not abandon its claim, describing it as a matter of justice and national priority.
“We will spare no effort to seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process in this part of the Indian Ocean.
“This is a matter of justice,” he added.
His comments follow signals from Britain that a planned handover of the islands may be delayed unless it receives backing from the United States.
US President Donald Trump has previously criticised the proposed arrangement, calling it an act of great stupidity.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Downing Street office said in a statement the deal would proceed only “if it has US support”, after reports the Chagos legislation risked running out of parliamentary time with no fresh bill planned.
Mauritius Attorney General Gavin Glover said the development was not unexpected, attributing it to tensions in US-UK relations.
He said the process depended heavily on coordination between London and Washington, adding that both countries would ultimately need to reach an agreement.
“We are dependent on Anglo-American relations…the USA and Britain will have to reach an agreement,” Glover told a local newspaper.
Glover also confirmed that Mauritius is scheduled to meet British officials on April 22 to discuss the future of the Chagos deal.
