Britain agreed to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in May 2025 -- a move described by US President Donald Trump as "an act of great stupidity" on Tuesday. 

The remote Indian Ocean archipelago was bought by Britain in 1965 before Mauritius gained independence, after which it expelled the local population and leased the territory to the United States for what became one of its most important military bases. 

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.