Mauritius holding out on Chagos deal despite US pressure

Mauritius is still holding out on a deal to regain control of the strategic Chagos Islands from Britain, despite pressure from the United States which has a key military base there.

After decades of negotiations, Britain agreed in October to hand back the Indian Ocean islands to Mauritius, a former colony, on condition that a UK-US military base can remain on the largest, Diego Garcia.

But a new government took power in Mauritius last month and has reopened the talks -- reportedly seeking greater financial compensation.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone with the newly appointed Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, pushing him to finalise the treaty with Britain.

"I made him understand that we do not agree with certain things contained in the agreement concluded on October 3 by the former Mauritian prime minister and informed him that we have made a counter-proposal which will be transmitted to him," Ramgoolam said at a meeting of lawmakers.

The outgoing US administration is reportedly keen to finalise a deal before Donald Trump takes over the presidency in January.

On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Berenger told a meeting in his constituency that it came down to money.

"There are certain things that we cannot accept if we are true patriots," Berenger said.

"They are nitpicking about the compensation to be granted to Mauritius when for 60 years, they have illegally used our Chagos and our Diego Garcia.

"We will continue to negotiate," Berenger said.

Britain kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius regained independence in the 1960s, and set up the military base which it leased to the United States.

In doing so, it evicted thousands of Chagos islanders who have since mounted a series of legal claims for compensation in British courts.

The military base has played a key strategic role as a hub for long-range bombers and ships, notably during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.