For a tiny group of atolls comprising just over 20 square miles of land in the Indian Ocean, the Chagos Islands have a long and contentious history. The first inhabitants were slaves brought over by the French in the 18th century, and the territory was handed over by France to the British as part of Mauritius in 1814.

U.S. President-elect Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Mark Rubio, told POLITICO last month that he fears the deal would boost China and warned the agreement poses “a serious threat” to U.S. national security. The Independent reported Wednesday that Trump's new team could even try to veto the deal.

Donald Trump has appointed a leading critic of the UK’s Chagos Islands deal with Mauritius as his national security adviser, in the clearest indication yet that the president-elect will oppose the plan.

Reuters

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to give up the Chagos Islands is a “sneaky agreement” that Donald Trump must block, the leader of a Chagos citizens’ group has said. Vanessa Calou, the co-head of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Citizens platform,