Mauritius: We Will Prevent Iranian and Chinese Influence if We Regain Control of the Chagos Archipelago

The government of Mauritius states that if it regains control of the Chagos Archipelago, it will ensure that Iran and China are kept away from these areas. According to the British newspaper 'Telegraph', Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful made these remarks on Tuesday, January 29, in response to concerns expressed by some Republican figures close to Donald Trump. Recently, several influential figures and allies of Trump have urged him to cancel the agreement reached between Britain and the Mauritian government regarding the transfer of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean due to the 'potential for Iranian espionage against the US military.' However, the Mauritian Foreign Minister argued that Mauritius's sovereignty over this archipelago would position the country to prevent 'the influence of others' in areas hosting Western military bases. This senior Mauritian diplomat stated that such an action would be 'beneficial for the US, the UK, and Mauritius.' Prior to the Foreign Minister, Daram Gokul, the President of Mauritius, also emphasized that his country continues to strive for the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity over this archipelago, including Diego Garcia, which hosts a US nuclear airbase. According to a proposed and controversial agreement, Britain will return control of the strategic Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, but will lease Diego Garcia for a hundred years for £9 billion, or over $11 billion. Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, had attempted to finalize and implement this agreement before the establishment of Donald Trump's government; however, he ultimately accepted that the new US President also has the right to weigh in on the matter. Meanwhile, the Mauritian Foreign Minister stated that despite his Prime Minister's interest in developing political relations with Beijing, claims and concerns about China's benefits from the discussed agreement are 'baseless.' Dhananjay Ramful noted that Mauritius is the only African country that has not participated in the Chinese initiative known as the 'Belt and Road,' and mentioned that a representative from Mauritius will soon be appointed to the United Nations to persuade the Trump administration to agree to the implementation of this agreement. Former US President Joe Biden had expressed his approval for the implementation of this agreement to London; however, Donald Trump's advisors have called for a review of the matter. It has reached a point where John Kennedy, a Republican senator from Louisiana, told the 'Telegraph' that the best course of action is to shred this agreement and be rid of it.