Britain and Mauritius reach historic agreement on Chagos Islands

Britain has announced an agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, resolving a long-standing dispute while preserving the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The deal allows for the resettlement of displaced Chagossians, addressing a historical injustice dating back to the 1970s.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy emphasized that the agreement secures the future of the vital military base, enhances global security, and prevents potential illegal migration routes in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos Islands, controlled by Britain since 1814, were separated from Mauritius in 1965 before the latter’s independence.

In the early 1970s, Britain evicted almost 2,000 residents to Mauritius and the Seychelles to make way for the US airbase on Diego Garcia. A 2019 World Court ruling stated that Britain should relinquish control of the islands, saying it had wrongfully forced the population to leave.

The new agreement, supported by the United States and India, marks a significant shift in British policy. It aims to strengthen relations with Mauritius while maintaining strategic interests in the region.

The deal is expected to have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics and the rights of the Chagossian people. Both Britain and Mauritius have issued a joint statement confirming the political agreement, which represents a major development in the resolution of this long-standing territorial dispute.