UK transfers Chagos Islands sovereignty to Mauritius

The British government’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the long-disputed Chagos Islands to Mauritius addresses a “historic wrong,” according to Mauritian Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin. Speaking on Sky News, he hailed the agreement as a significant step for both nations involved.

Under the deal, the U.K. will retain sovereignty over Diego Garcia, which hosts a key U.S.-U.K. military base, for an initial 99 years, alongside an undisclosed rental payment to Mauritius. A fund will also be established to assist displaced Chagossians in returning to the islands, excluding Diego Garcia. Jonathan Powell, the U.K. Special Envoy for the Chagossian Islands, confirmed that Mauritius will control this fund.

The Chagos Islands have been administered as part of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965, when they were separated from Mauritius, which became independent three years later. The U.S. developed the naval base at Diego Garcia in the 1970s, viewing it as essential for security operations across the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa.

Approximately 1,500 islanders were displaced to facilitate the base’s construction, an act that Human Rights Watch described as “crimes against humanity.” In response to the agreement, the White House noted that President Joe Biden praised the “historic” decision regarding the Chagos Islands.

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