The United Kingdom has agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, concluding a decades-long dispute over the Indian Ocean archipelago. The agreement includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, which houses a significant military base used by both the UK and the US. Under the terms of the deal, the base will remain under British and American jurisdiction for at least 99 years.
This decision follows years of international pressure and legal challenges against the UK’s control over the islands, which were separated from Mauritius before its independence in 1968. The International Court of Justice and the United Nations General Assembly had previously ruled that Britain’s occupation was illegal, urging a return of the islands to Mauritius.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized that this agreement secures the future of the Diego Garcia military base while addressing historical grievances and supporting the welfare of Chagossians, who were displaced from the islands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The move is seen as a step towards decolonization and strengthening ties with Mauritius, a Commonwealth ally.
The UK’s control over the Chagos Islands has historical roots dating back to colonial times. Initially, the islands were part of Mauritius, a British colony. In 1965, the UK separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) as part of a strategic agreement with the United States to establish a military base on Diego Garcia. This detachment occurred just before Mauritius gained independence in 1968, allowing the UK to retain control over the islands despite international criticism and legal challenges.
The decision to maintain control was driven by geopolitical interests, particularly the establishment of a significant US military base on Diego Garcia, which has been crucial for operations in the Middle East and maintaining military balance in the Indo-Pacific region. The forced displacement of the Chagossian population between 1967 and 1973 to make way for this base has been widely condemned as a violation of human rights. Despite international rulings deeming the UK’s occupation illegal, it resisted ceding control until recent agreements to return sovereignty to Mauritius.
