Mauritius to sue Britain over Chagos delay as concerns escalate over ratification date

Ministerial discussions held earlier this week addressed growing frustration over the stalled ratification process, with officials raising concerns that "there is no visibility as to when this [ratification] would occur".

The uncertainty has caused significant alarm in Port Louis, where the treaty had been central to both diplomatic planning and economic forecasting.

Mr Ramgoolam acknowledged the budgetary pressures, stating: "We will have to find Rs 10billion (£170m). We are exploring all possible avenues, but clearly the 2026-27 budget will not be an easy one."

The agreement was thrown into disarray last month when Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer indicated Britain was "pausing" the process while holding discussions with Washington.

Although the Government subsequently denied any pause, the deal remains before the House of Commons for ratification and faces heightened scrutiny following Donald Trump's recent interventions.

The US President expressed his displeasure with Sir Keir Starmer this week, telling The Telegraph he was "very disappointed" after the Prime Minister initially blocked American forces from using Diego Garcia to launch strikes against Iran.

Mr Trump has previously described Britain's plans to transfer sovereignty as an act of "great stupidity" and stated the islands "should not be taken away from the UK".

It is understood Britain cannot proceed without American approval, given the US jointly operates the Diego Garcia military base.

A senior Mauritian foreign affairs official told The Telegraph there had been "an inordinate delay in the finalisation of the treaty after the signature of the agreement last May".

The official emphasised that "small states like Mauritius have only international law and multilateral organisations to fall back on" and have consistently favoured diplomatic channels to resolve disputes.

Under the proposed terms, Britain would make initial annual payments of approximately £170m to Mauritius, amounting to £3.5bn across the coming century.

UK ministers are reportedly concerned that Mauritius could seek to immediately recover much of the £35bn total if the agreement collapses under American pressure.

Mauritius has previously prevailed against Britain at the International Court of Justice over the Chagos dispute, with Sir Keir's friend Philippe Sands KC serving as legal counsel.

The Maldives has also signalled its intention to mount a legal challenge, with a foreign office spokesman telling The Telegraph on Saturday that the country was "exploring options" for action.

Maldivian officials assert their territorial claim over the archipelago supersedes that of Mauritius, arguing Britain's plans are not "adequately grounded in international legal principles".

Any formal challenge from the Maldives would most likely be brought before the International Court of Justice.

Meanwhile, native Chagossians are pursuing their own efforts to return to their ancestral homeland.

Chagossian first minister Misley Mandarin and three other islanders have established themselves on Île du Coin, one of the archipelago's uninhabited islands, where they have permission to remain until at least March 13