Trump administration weighs purchasing Chagos Islands from Mauritius to secure Diego Garcia base

The United States is considering a plan to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, following the disruption of the United Kingdom’s plans to hand over sovereignty of the territory.

According to a proposal reported by The Telegraph, the administration of US President Donald Trump would bypass British officials to purchase the islands, thereby securing direct control of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia.

However, the report notes that the islands would first need to be established as an independent state, which would subsequently allow the US to negotiate the acquisition directly with Mauritius.

A previous legislative proposal that envisioned transferring the islands to Mauritius was shelved in April after the US withdrew its support for the agreement.

The acquisition of the islands is one of several proposals currently being evaluated by the US.

The latest plan was put forward by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and presented to Trump, though sources suggest it is not currently a leading option.

According to The Telegraph, some officials within the Trump administration are concerned that ceding the islands to Mauritius—an ally of China—could heighten the risk of espionage.

Last week, a delegation of Chagos refugees visiting the UK stated that the issue had been “usurped” within the corridors of British politics.

The six-member delegation from the Chagos Refugees Group expressed their full support for the UK reaching an agreement on the future of the islands.

“The most important thing is our rights,” the leader of the delegation, Louis Olivier Bancoult, said on Friday, adding:

“The British government has no real will to find a solution for our people. We need to find a way. We are still suffering and our position is clear: we have the right to live on the land where we were born.”