On Thursday, Britain announced its decision to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, facilitating the return of individuals displaced many years ago, while maintaining operational rights over the UK-US military base located on Diego Garcia.
The agreement ensures the continued operation of Diego Garcia, a strategically important military facility co-managed with the United States, and permits Mauritius to resettle the remaining islands following the displacement of their original inhabitants.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy stated, “This government has inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat due to contested sovereignty and ongoing legal disputes. Today’s agreement secures this vital military base for the future. It will enhance our role in ensuring global security, eliminate the potential for the Indian Ocean to be exploited as a hazardous illegal migration route to the UK, and solidify our enduring partnership with Mauritius.”
Britain has maintained control over the region since 1814 and separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965, shortly before Mauritius gained independence in 1968, to establish the British Indian Ocean Territory.
In the early 1970s, nearly 2,000 residents were forcibly removed to Mauritius and the Seychelles to accommodate the construction of an airbase on Diego Garcia, which had been leased to the United States in 1966.
In 2019, the World Court ruled that Britain should relinquish control of the islands, stating that the forced removal of the population in the 1970s to facilitate the US airbase was unlawful.
In a joint statement, both Britain and Mauritius confirmed that the political agreement received support and assistance from the United States and India.
UK=US military base in Diego Gracia part of Chagos Island
