African nations will be able to demand inspections of the Diego Garcia military base under Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal.
Under the terms of the deal negotiated by the Labour Government, the UK will give away the islands and around £35bn in cash terms over 99 years to lease back Diego Garcia, the UK-US military airbase, from Mauritius.
The Mauritian deputy prime minister has previously declared that the UK and US will not be allowed to store nuclear weapons on Diego Garcia if the deal goes ahead, under the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty, to which Mauritius is a signatory.
The Telegraph has learnt that under the agreement, African nations will be able to demand inspections of Diego Garcia if they believe the treaty is being violated.
Any of the member states, which make up nearly all of the African continent, which includes allies to China such as South Africa, can lodge a complaint with the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE).
If the Commission considers there “sufficient substance” to the complaint “to warrant an inspection”, it can call on the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so.
The treaty states that the Commission can “designate its representatives” to accompany the inspectorate.
Prof Richard Ekins KC, the head of Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project, told The Telegraph this opens up Diego Garcia to “forced international inspection”.
“It will be open to any of the other parties to the treaty to complain to the African Nuclear Energy Commission, which may request the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct an inspection.
“Subjecting the UK-US military base to forced international inspection might well compromise the security of the base, especially if it results in enforcement of the treaty’s prohibition on nuclear weapons in Diego Garcia.”
The revelations have also sparked concern about the possible influence of China on African nations.
Africa has been crucial to Chinese foreign policy, and relations with the continent have strengthened though the Belt and Road Initiative, in which Beijing seeks to invest in 150 countries and international organisations, including African nations.
Foreign Office sources say they are confident that nothing in the Chagos Islands treaty conflicts with the ability to operate the base as usual.
Dame Priti Patel, a former cabinet minister, said: “The idea that the US would tolerate Mauritius or another country, the right to demand an inspection of our joint military base on Diego Garcia is for the birds.
“No self-respecting president would agree to those terms. It is telling that our weak Prime Minister has signed up to them.
“Starmer lacks the backbone to stand up for Britain on the international stage. Only the Conservatives will put our national interest first – and continue to lead the fight against the Chagos surrender right to the end.”
Baroness Goldie, the opposition defence spokesman, said: “The Prime Minister’s surrender deal with Mauritius gravely imperils US and UK security interests.
“Under the ‘nuclear-free’ treaty, which binds Mauritius, a highly sensitive base may be subject to third-party inspections over which the US and the UK have no control.
“The very integrity of the base is under threat. This Treaty cannot safely proceed.”
The way things are going there is not going to be agreement on the current deal in any shape or form the US appear to have changed their view on it all.
If there is to be any kind of a deal it will be one driven by and agreed with the US and will be a very different animal to the one negotiated by the UK.
How dare we be subject to restrictions! This is a travesty! I should be able to store nuclear weapons wherever I want.
This deal has always ultimately been for the US. Now Trump has said he doesn’t like it just to get back at the UK we should dump it and let them deal with whatever the consequences are.
Starmers insistence on seeing through this deal which is viewed as absolute madness to everyone apart from Mauritius who are greedily rubbing their hands at the prospect is genuinely bizarre.
I thought this deal was dead, is Starmer still trying to push this deeply unpopular sell out through?
Why are we giving this back? I don’t think it would be strategic use for Africa but for us it’s a huge asset.
We need to just pull out of the deal. Who actually cares what Mauritius thinks. It’s not their island. The only people who should have a say are the Chagosians, who want to be a British protectorate.
8 comments
(Article)
—
African nations will be able to demand inspections of the Diego Garcia military base under Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal.
Under the terms of the deal negotiated by the Labour Government, the UK will give away the islands and around £35bn in cash terms over 99 years to lease back Diego Garcia, the UK-US military airbase, from Mauritius.
The Mauritian deputy prime minister has previously declared that the UK and US will not be allowed to store nuclear weapons on Diego Garcia if the deal goes ahead, under the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty, to which Mauritius is a signatory.
The Telegraph has learnt that under the agreement, African nations will be able to demand inspections of Diego Garcia if they believe the treaty is being violated.
Any of the member states, which make up nearly all of the African continent, which includes allies to China such as South Africa, can lodge a complaint with the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE).
If the Commission considers there “sufficient substance” to the complaint “to warrant an inspection”, it can call on the International Atomic Energy Agency to do so.
The treaty states that the Commission can “designate its representatives” to accompany the inspectorate.
Prof Richard Ekins KC, the head of Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project, told The Telegraph this opens up Diego Garcia to “forced international inspection”.
“It will be open to any of the other parties to the treaty to complain to the African Nuclear Energy Commission, which may request the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct an inspection.
“Subjecting the UK-US military base to forced international inspection might well compromise the security of the base, especially if it results in enforcement of the treaty’s prohibition on nuclear weapons in Diego Garcia.”
The revelations have also sparked concern about the possible influence of China on African nations.
Africa has been crucial to Chinese foreign policy, and relations with the continent have strengthened though the Belt and Road Initiative, in which Beijing seeks to invest in 150 countries and international organisations, including African nations.
Foreign Office sources say they are confident that nothing in the Chagos Islands treaty conflicts with the ability to operate the base as usual.
Dame Priti Patel, a former cabinet minister, said: “The idea that the US would tolerate Mauritius or another country, the right to demand an inspection of our joint military base on Diego Garcia is for the birds.
“No self-respecting president would agree to those terms. It is telling that our weak Prime Minister has signed up to them.
“Starmer lacks the backbone to stand up for Britain on the international stage. Only the Conservatives will put our national interest first – and continue to lead the fight against the Chagos surrender right to the end.”
Baroness Goldie, the opposition defence spokesman, said: “The Prime Minister’s surrender deal with Mauritius gravely imperils US and UK security interests.
“Under the ‘nuclear-free’ treaty, which binds Mauritius, a highly sensitive base may be subject to third-party inspections over which the US and the UK have no control.
“The very integrity of the base is under threat. This Treaty cannot safely proceed.”
The way things are going there is not going to be agreement on the current deal in any shape or form the US appear to have changed their view on it all.
If there is to be any kind of a deal it will be one driven by and agreed with the US and will be a very different animal to the one negotiated by the UK.
How dare we be subject to restrictions! This is a travesty! I should be able to store nuclear weapons wherever I want.
This deal has always ultimately been for the US. Now Trump has said he doesn’t like it just to get back at the UK we should dump it and let them deal with whatever the consequences are.
Starmers insistence on seeing through this deal which is viewed as absolute madness to everyone apart from Mauritius who are greedily rubbing their hands at the prospect is genuinely bizarre.
I thought this deal was dead, is Starmer still trying to push this deeply unpopular sell out through?
Why are we giving this back? I don’t think it would be strategic use for Africa but for us it’s a huge asset.
We need to just pull out of the deal. Who actually cares what Mauritius thinks. It’s not their island. The only people who should have a say are the Chagosians, who want to be a British protectorate.