Mauritius Rejects Claims of US Contact as Chagos Islands Debate Re-Emerges

June 9, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

Mauritius has said it has not received any official proposal from the United States regarding the Chagos Islands, pushing back on media reports that the White House is weighing options that could include a potential purchase of the territory.

The government said on Monday it had taken note of reporting by The Telegraph but confirmed it had not been approached, directly or indirectly, by US authorities on any arrangement involving Diego Garcia or the wider Chagos Archipelago. It restated that its sovereignty claim over the islands remains “non-negotiable.”

Diego Garcia, the largest atoll in the archipelago, hosts a joint United States–United Kingdom military base that remains a key strategic asset in the Indian Ocean. The installation sits at the centre of longstanding disputes over control of the territory.

The latest diplomatic sensitivity follows reporting that the White House is examining internal policy options linked to the islands, including a possible acquisition scenario, as part of broader discussions on future arrangements.

A previously agreed framework between Britain and Mauritius to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands was put on hold in April, despite having been concluded last year.

The origins of the dispute date back to the late 1960s and 1970s, when Britain removed up to 2,000 indigenous Chagossians from the islands to establish the Diego Garcia base, a decision that continues to shape the political and legal debate over sovereignty today.