UK Down Plays Cost of Chagos Islands Deal

(MENAFN) The British government is set to spend significantly more than originally disclosed to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, as reported by a news agency.

The Chagos archipelago, which consists of over 60 islands, was detached from Mauritius by Britain in 1965, just three years before the country gained independence.

The largest island, Diego Garcia, was leased to the United States for military purposes in 1966, resulting in the displacement of around 2,000 residents.

Since then, Mauritius has been pursuing efforts to regain control of the territory. In 2019, the International Court of Justice recommended that the UK cease its administration "as rapidly as possible."

In May, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Under this agreement, both Washington and London would continue to control the joint military base on Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period, with the agreement valued at $3.9 billion, according to an earlier report from a news outlet.

However, documents from the Government Actuary’s Department, cited by the news agency, reveal that the actual cost of the deal will be nearly £35 billion ($47.1 billion) over the 99-year leaseback period, significantly higher than the previously disclosed figure of £3.4 billion ($4.6 billion).

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