A US senator has proposed a bill to prevent any transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, including the vital Diego Garcia military base, without formal approval from the US Senate. Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana presented the Diego Garcia Treaty Oversight Act, mandating Senate consent for any changes to the longstanding defense treaty between the US and the UK.
This move follows worries in Washington regarding the UK’s plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which encompasses Diego Garcia, a crucial US-UK naval support facility. Kennedy emphasized the importance of mutual agreement in treaty modifications, stating that the UK should not hand over the military base without the US Senate’s consent.
The proposed legislation stipulates that any alterations to the 1966 agreement necessitate Senate endorsement before implementation. It also bars federal agencies from using funds to amend the treaty without Senate approval. Additionally, the bill requires the President to submit a report to Congress before engaging in treaty modification talks, outlining the national security rationale and potential risks involved.
Kennedy has been vocal in opposing the Chagos Islands’ transfer and has actively engaged with critics of the proposal in the UK. He has urged the Trump administration to resist the arrangement. Diego Garcia, the primary island in the Chagos archipelago, houses a significant US-UK military base critical for American operations in the Indian Ocean region and beyond.
The base’s strategic location has facilitated US military activities in the Middle East, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific for years. The sovereignty dispute over the Chagos Islands has been a persistent diplomatic issue, with Mauritius asserting ownership over the archipelago, which the UK separated before Mauritius gained independence in 1968.
