Open letter to the UK Foreign Secretary

Rt Hon David Lammy MP
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH

9th January 2025

By email

Dear Foreign Secretary,

We write to you amid reports that the UK Government will attempt to conclude negotiations with the Republic of Mauritius regarding the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) this week.

It is alarming that such negotiations appear to be rushed, for a second time, to benefit foreign administrations given it is only a matter of days until President-elect Trump and his administration take office. At every stage, including now, the UK Government has failed to meaningfully consult the Chagossian community - those with the most at stake - to pander to foreign interests.

It has also been reported recently that the approximate cost of leasing back one of the 58 islands we already own will be £90 million per annum, totalling £8.91 billion over the lifetime of the lease. In a time where public services are under increased strain within the Overseas Territories and the UK, and where governments of all our Overseas Territories could effectively utilise further investment, it is appalling that the UK Government’s priority is to pay for the privilege of renting our own island.

Mauritius has demonstrated, throughout the negotiations, that it is not a partner that the UK can negotiate with in good faith. Despite signing a treaty following its independence confirming it had no claim to BIOT, Mauritius has lobbied internationally to manufacture a diplomatic claim against the UK. From the start, BIOT negotiations were compromised by phone hacking and leaks targeting the British High Commission in Port Louis. The nation has also conducted a campaign of lawfare at the United Nations, receiving extensive support on the world stage from nations actively hostile to UK interests, such as Russia, China, Syria, Belarus and Venezuela. This alone should set alarm bells ringing at the FCDO. As Lord West noted, efforts to reduce the UK's global influence by systematically increasing diplomatic and legal pressure wherever possible are only likely to become more prolific and widespread as the world becomes a more uncertain place.

The UK’s national security is further compromised by this deal given the UK and the US may be restricted from hosting nuclear weapons on BIOT given Mauritius is signatory to the Treaty of Pelindaba. This underscores the wider concerns for UK national security brought about by this ill-conceived deal, and only serves to benefit our adversaries who will seek to benefit from the UK’s weakness.

Through programmes such as the Blue Belt Programme, efforts to safeguard the UK’s incredible biodiversity and environments in the Overseas Territories has been applauded by all. The UK’s record, through the establishment of Marine Protected Zones and other schemes, is one to be proud of. However, BIOT is at risk of an environmental disaster should the territory be handed over, with the biodiversity of the territory set to be decimated. For example, Mauritius’ track record on the environment includes the alarming statistic that over half of their lagoons are now dead, and octopus and reef fish numbers have dropped by 75% in the last few decades.

Most shamefully, however, the Chagossian community has been cast aside. Following the recent UK Joint Ministerial Council with representatives from the Overseas Territories, the UK Government pledged “nothing about you without you”. This principle, however, has not been extended to the Chagossian community who are overwhelmingly demanding the right to self-determination, a right enjoyed by every other Overseas Territory. The Chagossian people must be granted the right to self-determination immediately, and included in any resolution. It should not be up to FOTBOT to provide a platform for Chagossian voices to be heard in these negotiations via a referendum, but we are being forced to do so given your lack of consultation.

Foreign Secretary, it is not too late to reverse the deal and engage pragmatically and meaningfully with the Chagossian community. There is still time to right this wrong and put the interests of the Chagossian people and the United Kingdom first. Cancel this deal.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Smith

Chief Executive

Friends of the British Overseas Territories