Sovereignty of Chagos islands given by UK to Mauritius

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(Commonwealth_ UK) The United Kingdom has announced a landmark agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a move that aims to secure the future of the strategic US military base located on Diego Garcia while providing displaced islanders the right to return. This agreement, revealed jointly by the UK and Mauritius on Thursday, grants full sovereignty to Mauritius over the remote archipelago and ensures the continued operation of the US base for the next 99 years.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy emphasized that the current government has inherited a complex situation in which the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was jeopardized by contested sovereignty and ongoing legal challenges. He remarked that this agreement ensures the future security of this vital military base. It reinforces our commitment to safeguarding global security, mitigates the risk of the Indian Ocean being exploited as a route for illegal migration to the UK, and solidifies our long-term partnership with Mauritius.

The UK has maintained control over the region since 1814, having detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. In the early 1970s, approximately 1,500 residents were forcibly relocated to Mauritius and Seychelles to make way for the establishment of the US airbase on Diego Garcia, which had been leased to the United States in 1966 in exchange for a $14 million discount on Polaris missiles. To comply with international law, the UK categorized the Chagossians—whose ancestral ties to the territory date back to the late 18th century—as “transient workers.”

In 2010, former Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam initiated a legal battle for the territory following the release of a US diplomatic cable by WikiLeaks, which contained disparaging remarks about Chagossians advocating for their right of return. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion in 2019, asserting that the UK should relinquish control over the islands, emphasizing that the forced displacement of the population in the 1970s was unlawful. A subsequent UN resolution, endorsed by 116 member states, called on the UK to return the archipelago within six months. However, negotiations faced delays, partly due to concerns from the previous Conservative government regarding potential Chinese access to the territory.

Critics of the UK’s inaction have argued that failing to adhere to the ICJ ruling has tarnished the UK’s international standing and demonstrated a disregard for the rules-based international order. The joint statement from the UK and Mauritius noted that Mauritius would now have the authority to implement a resettlement program for the Chagos Archipelago, excluding Diego Garcia. The UK has committed to establishing a trust fund and providing additional support for Chagossians, who currently number around 10,000 and are dispersed across Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the UK.

Nonetheless, some Chagossians contest Mauritian sovereignty and advocate for self-determination as indigenous people. Chagossian Voices, a UK-based community organization, expressed disappointment over their exclusion from the bilateral discussions, emphasizing the need for their voices to be heard in determining the future of their homeland. In a statement, the organization expressed, that Chagossians were informed of this outcome through the media and feel marginalized in shaping our future and the future of our homeland. The perspectives of Chagossians, the Indigenous inhabitants of the islands, have been consistently overlooked, and we assert our demand for full inclusion in the treaty drafting process.

As part of the agreement, the UK will provide Mauritius with a financial support package aimed at fostering economic development. The two nations will also collaborate on various issues, including environmental protection, maritime security, and combating drug and human trafficking. The UK and Mauritius indicated that this political agreement has garnered support from both the United States and India, signifying a new chapter in their shared history and an era of enhanced economic, security, and environmental partnership.

US President Joe Biden praised the “historic agreement” between the UK and Mauritius, stating, “It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome longstanding historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.” Diego Garcia, often referred to as the “Footprint of Freedom” due to its geographical significance, has played a crucial role in US military operations since the 9/11 attacks, facilitating missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The island has also been implicated in controversial rendition flights, a claim long denied by the US but acknowledged by the UK government in 2008.

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