Editing Diego Garcia (section)

=== Handover of the island to Mauritius ===
On 3 October 2024, the UK prime minister [[Keir Starmer]] announced in a statement with the Mauritian prime minister [[Pravind Jugnauth]] that the UK will hand over the Chagos islands to Mauritius. The joint base on the island will stay, with the UK initially taking a 99-year lease of the base from Mauritius. Mauritius will be allowed to begin resettlement on the Chagos Archipelago, but not on Diego Garcia due to the sensitive nature of the base. US president [[Joe Biden]] welcomed the agreement, saying that it was a "clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes".<ref name="Harding-2024">{{Cite web |last=Harding |first=Andrew |date=2024-10-03 |title=UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=3 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241003225136/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o |url-status=live }}</ref> The deal was put on hold following the [[2024 United States presidential election]] to allow consideration from the [[Second cabinet of Donald Trump|new incoming administration]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crerar |first=Pippa |last2=Walker |first2=Peter |date=2025-01-15 |title=UK stalls Chagos Islands deal until Trump administration can ‘consider detail’ |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/15/uk-chagos-islands-handover-mauritius-donald-trump-diego-garcia |access-date=2025-01-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> On 1 April 2025, the new administration approved letting treaty negotiations continue.<ref name="The Guardian April 2025">{{cite web | last=Courea | first=Eleni | title=Donald Trump signs off UK’s handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius | website=the Guardian | date=April 1, 2025 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/donald-trump-signs-off-uks-handover-of-chagos-islands-to-mauritius | access-date=May 6, 2025}}</ref>