Britain returns the archipelago to Mauritius, ending years of conflict

Britain has concluded an agreement allowing it to maintain control of a strategically important Anglo-American military base in the Indian Ocean for another century, while ceding sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Under the agreement, which has been under negotiation for two years and was endorsed by US President Joe Biden, the UK will be allowed to exercise Mauritius’ sovereign rights over Diego Garcia – the island where the base is located – for an initial period of 99 years. years, according to a joint statement by the two governments. The Chagossians will be able to return to the islands, with the exception of Diego Garcia, more than half a century after their forced deportation.

In a phone call on Thursday (3) with Mauritian leader Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the agreement “will protect the continued operation of the military base in Diego Garcia” and stressed his “firm duty to national and global security.” Which strengthened the political agreement,” said a separate statement issued by his office.

The agreement aims to end the long-standing regional conflict, which has been exacerbated by the importance of the US Air Force base, which was established in the 1970s and used in recent military campaigns in the Middle East and Afghanistan. However, by ceding sovereignty of the strategically important archipelago to another country, Starmer’s Labor administration immediately faced criticism from political opponents.

Mauritius – which has close economic ties with India – has struggled to regain control of the archipelago since the UK carved it up into a colony in 1965. Eight years later, a military base was established in Diego Garcia, from where about 1,360 Chagos residents were forced to leave. To leave this island and two others. Most ended up in the United Kingdom, Mauritius and Seychelles, where Human Rights Watch says they suffered discrimination and received little financial assistance to rebuild their lives.

Jugnauth described the day as “historic” for Mauricio. “Today, 56 years after our independence, the process of decolonization is complete,” he said in a radio statement.

The agreement is subject to the finalization of the treaty and supporting legal documents, according to the joint statement. Britain acknowledged the Chagossians’ “past wrongs” and agreed to establish a trust fund for them. The amount of compensation for the Chagossian people and Mauritius has not yet been determined, as the details of the broader treaty and accompanying agreements are being refined. Under the agreement, Mauritius will be able to implement a resettlement program on two of the islands, but not on Diego Garcia.

There was a backlash in Britain, with all four candidates to lead the main opposition Conservative Party criticizing the deal in posts in “All over the world.” Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat described it as a “disgraceful withdrawal,” and former Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said it was “weak, weak, weak!”

But Biden welcomed the agreement, calling it “clear evidence that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to achieve peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.”

In the worst-case scenario, the British government believed there was a real risk of losing the military base without the current agreement. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that the seizure of the islands in 1965 was illegal, a decision that was reaffirmed by the UN General Assembly.

“All Mauritian governments have always agreed that the United States can continue to operate a military base in Diego Garcia,” Jugnauth said. “We also agree with this.”

© 2024 Bloomberg LP.