Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has questioned the duration of the lease on a U.S.-British military base, he told a local newspaper, a contentious element of negotiations in which the UK plans to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Downing Street would not be drawn into saying whether the 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia military base could be shortened as part of the deal.

UK Halts Chagos Islands Deal as US Review Looms The UK government has paused its plans to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The decision comes as the US prepares to review the implications of the deal for its key military base,

Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam criticised the deal and described Britain’s agreement the government before his as a ‘sell out’.