LONDON, UK — The British government has agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending decades of contested ownership over the Indian Ocean archipelago.
The decision ensures the continuation of the strategically important U.S.-U.K. military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, for the next 99 years.
The deal, announced on Thursday, October 3, 2024, by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, resolves a long-standing diplomatic dispute while securing the future of the base, which has been a vital platform for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Africa.
The base has played key roles in conflicts such as the Iraq War in 2003 and the war in Afghanistan.
“It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security,” Lammy said, adding that the agreement will also prevent the use of the Indian Ocean as an illegal migration route to the U.K. and bolster the country’s ties with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner.
The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1965 when they were separated from Mauritius, which gained independence three years later.
Around 1,500 Chagossians were forcibly displaced in the 1970s to make way for the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia, a move Human Rights Watch later called “crimes against humanity.”
The agreement with Mauritius includes a provision for financial compensation and a resettlement fund to allow displaced Chagossians to return to the islands, except for Diego Garcia.
The U.K. will retain control of Diego Garcia, paying an undisclosed rent to Mauritius.
The deal has sparked mixed reactions. Chagossian Voices, a group representing the diaspora, expressed disappointment that those displaced were excluded from the negotiations.
“Chagossians have learned this outcome from the media and remain powerless and voiceless in determining our own future,” the group said in a statement.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth welcomed the agreement, hailing it as the completion of the country’s decolonization.
“56 years after our independence, the decolonisation is finally complete,” Jugnauth said in a televised address.
President Joe Biden also praised the deal, calling it a “historic agreement” that secures the continued operation of the joint military facility on Diego Garcia.
While the agreement has garnered international support, including from the United Nations, some U.K. politicians have expressed concerns.
Conservative lawmakers criticized the decision to hand over sovereignty of the islands, with Tom Tugenhat warning of potential security risks, including the possibility that Mauritius might lease an island to China.
The treaty is expected to be finalised after legal processes are completed, with both sides committed to resolving any outstanding issues related to the islands and the resettlement of displaced Chagossians.
