The United Kingdom announced on Thursday (3) that it will transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, allowing for the return of displaced residents while retaining control over the Diego Garcia military base, which it operates jointly with the United States.
The agreement allows Mauritius to resettle the rest of the Chagos Islands, from which approximately 2,000 residents were removed in the early 1970s to facilitate the construction of a military airbase on Diego Garcia. Despite this handover, the UK has ensured the continued operation of the base, which plays a key role in security operations.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the deal, emphasizing the importance of Diego Garcia in “national, regional, and global security.” He stated that the agreement would safeguard the effective use of the airbase into the next century.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy explained that the ongoing sovereignty dispute and related legal challenges had posed a risk to the long-term future of Diego Garcia. “Today’s agreement secures this vital military base for the future. It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security,” Lammy said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who took office in July, has adopted a different approach to the Chagos Islands issue than previous governments, pledging to respect international law. The UK detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, to form the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The removal of Chagos residents in the early 1970s led to calls for Britain to return the islands, culminating in a 2019 non-binding United Nations resolution declaring that the UK should relinquish control of the islands. The deal with Mauritius marks a shift in response to international calls for decolonization.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that Prime Minister Starmer and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth spoke earlier in the day, welcoming the agreement. “The prime minister reiterated the importance of reaching this deal to protect the continued operation of the UK/US military base on Diego Garcia,” the spokesperson said.
The Conservative Party, now in opposition, has criticized the decision. Former Foreign Minister James Cleverly expressed his disapproval on X, describing the agreement as “weak, weak, weak!” Meanwhile, Mauritius has not provided an official response yet.
Under the new agreement, Britain will maintain sovereign rights over Diego Garcia to guarantee the base’s operation for an initial 99 years. The strategic importance of Diego Garcia was demonstrated in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, serving as a launch site for long-range bombers.
