The US president labels Chagos deal an act of 'total weakness' and 'great stupidity', linking the move to his renewed push for Greenland acquisition
A few days ago, President Donald Trump, blasting Britain on his social media platform Truth Social, wrote, “Shockingly, our “brilliant” NATO Ally the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital US Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so for NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why, the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, only after one year, is respected like never before. The UK giving away extremely land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING”. (sic)
Trump's disdain for international order
This writer has deliberately quoted Trump’s entire Truth Social post because it reveals the current state of his thinking, his instincts and, indeed, of his mind. He has developed complete disdain for the norms of the present world order which is based on sovereignty, territorial integrity, the equal rights of countries and of the self-determination of peoples under colonial administration. Trump is now focused on acquiring land and is not concerned with the rights of peoples.
Also read: What is Chagos Islands deal and why is Trump eyeing Diego Garcia in Indian Ocean?
He is prepared to trample on them for the interests of his country. This is true in Greenland and it is so in Diego Garcia too. It was also seen in a way in Venezuela where Trump broke all international principles to extricate Nicolas Maduro and his wife to the US.
Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean, has a majority Indian-origin population. They are the descendants of Indian indentured labour which was taken first by the French and later by the British to work in sugarcane plantations. Britain acquired Mauritius from the French in 1815 and made it its colony.
Trump had agreed to the leasing of Diego Garcia last year. However, it is obvious that as he wants to be consistent in respect of Greenland which he wants to purchase and with Diego Garcia. Hence, he is now blaming Britain for giving up its ‘sovereignty’ over Diego Garcia.
As decolonisation began in the 1950s and accelerated in the 1960s, the European colonial powers were compelled to relinquish their colonies. Mauritius could not be left out of this process.
The problem for the British was that while all of Mauritius was strategically important, Britain and the US also felt that the Chagos Islands chain, of which the largest island was Diego Garcia, was the most important. They wanted to establish a base in Diego Garcia. Britain knew that Mauritius would come under a government led by leaders of the Indian-origin community after it became independent. It was also aware of the close ties between the Indian community and India.
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As India was non-aligned, Britain felt that Mauritian leaders would follow India’s lead and, hence, may not be willing to lease Diego Garcia to it to establish a base. It, therefore, decided that it would de-link the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and establish a British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) consisting of these islands and some others which were part of Mauritius. This was done in November 1965 when it compelled the administration of the ‘self-governing’ colony of Mauritius, led by Chief Minister Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, to agree to BIOT for a sum of three million pounds.
The leaders of Mauritius were invited by Britain to discuss their independence but only after the formation of BIOT. They were arm-twisted into basically keeping silent on this separation. This is because they were told that their independence would be delayed if they directly refused to keep quiet on the separation of Chagos.
Mauritius became independent in March 1968. The separation of Chagos rankled with the country’s leadership. It took the precaution of putting its claim over Chagos in its constitution. Britain ignored this and, with the US, went ahead to build a large base on Diego Garcia between 1967 and 1973. Britain also forcibly removed the Chagos people who inhabited the islands to ensure that the base could function without any issues.
Fast forward to 2017. Mauritius agitated its claim to the Chagos Islands before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It also had India’s support to do so. The Assembly, by a wide majority, referred two issues for the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
These were (i) “Was the process of decolonization of Mauritius lawfully completed when Mauritius was granted independence in 1968, following the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius and having regard to international law…” and (ii) “What are the consequences under international law, including obligations reflected in the above-mentioned resolutions, arising from the continued administration by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the Chagos Archipelago, including with respect to the inability of Mauritius to implement a programme for the resettlement on the Chagos Archipelago of its nationals, in particular those of Chagossian origin?”
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The ICJ held in 2019 “the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when that country acceded to independence” and that “the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible”.
It further held “all Member States must co-operate with the United Nations to complete the decolonisation of Mauritius”. And, it also opined that on ‘the resettlement on the Chagos Archipelago of Mauritian nationals, including those of Chagossian origin… that this was an issue relating to the protection of the human rights of those concerned, which should be addressed by the General Assembly during the completion of the decolonization of Mauritius’.
Following the ICJ’s opinion, the UNGA adopted a Resolution in May 2019 in which it held that the Chagos Islands were a part of Mauritius, that Britain should withdraw its ‘colonial administration unconditionally from the Chagos Islands in six months and that all states should cooperate in this process. This was a clear reference to the US which had continued with the Diego Garcia base. Britain, with the support of the US, ignored the UNGA Resolution.
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However, as international opinion remained with Mauritius, Britain decided to negotiate the matter with the island country in 2022. The negotiations were torturous, but Britain knew that it had to concede that the Chagos were a part of Mauritius. On its part, Mauritius knew that it would have to agree to lease the land on which the Diego Garcia US and British air base was located. Last February, Trump publicly recognised Mauritius's sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
In May 2025, Britain and Mauritius signed an agreement under which the former would relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and Mauritius would agree to the US base in Diego Garcia for 99 years and the lease could be renewed for another 40 years.
Trump and Diego Garcia
Significantly, Trump had agreed to lease Diego Garcia last year. However, it is obvious that as he wants to be consistent in respect of Greenland, which he wants to purchase, and with Diego Garcia. Hence, he is now blaming Britain for giving up its ‘sovereignty’ over Diego Garcia. In doing so, he is overlooking the ICJ opinion and the UNGA Resolution. This is one more clear proof that he has complete disregard for international law and rules.
The implication of his Truth Social post is that Trump wants a return to a new kind of international system in which the powerful can do what they want and the weak must accept their will. Perhaps this was always so, but, with Trump, this is blatantly so.
(The Federal seeks to present views and opinions from all sides of the spectrum. The information, ideas or opinions in the articles are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Federal.)
