US President Donald Trump on January 20, 2026, attacked an agreement that he had previously approved under which the United Kingdom would restore sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The UK, which controls the islands, had, together with the US, forced all residents of the Indian Ocean island chain to leave a half century ago so that the US could build a military base on the island of Diego Garcia. The Chagossians have never been allowed to return.
Trump said on Truth Social that turning the islands over to Mauritius was "an act of great stupidity" and showed why the US needs to acquire Greenland.
The following quote can be attributed to Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch:
"Decisions about the Chagos islands need to be centered on the Chagossian people, still forcibly displaced from their homeland by the UK and US. Chagossians' rights should be at the heart of this discussion, including their right to return to live in their homeland and to reparations for the crimes committed against them."
