The UK has announced it will relinquish control of a strategically significant group of islands in the Indian Ocean after over fifty years. This agreement, finalized after extensive negotiations, will transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a landmark decision. Among these islands is Diego Garcia, which serves as a military base for the US Navy and long-range bombers.
The joint statement from the UK and Mauritian Prime Ministers marks the end of decades of contentious discussions between the two nations. Although the US-UK military base will continue to operate on Diego Garcia—a key aspect facilitating the agreement amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region—the deal is still pending the finalization of a treaty, with both parties pledging to expedite this process.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth described this moment as significant for their relationship and highlighted their commitment to peacefully resolving disputes and upholding the rule of law. They also vowed to ensure the effective and secure functioning of the existing military base, which is crucial for regional and global security. The treaty will aim to “address past wrongs” and demonstrate both nations’ commitment to supporting the Chagossians’ welfare.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy noted that the agreement would help eliminate a potential illegal migration route. Currently, dozens of Sri Lankan Tamils have been detained in a fenced camp on the island as legal battles regarding their situation continue. The implications of this announcement for them remain uncertain.
The UK will provide Mauritius with a financial support package, including annual payments and investment in infrastructure. Mauritius will initiate a resettlement program for the Chagos Islands, though not on Diego Garcia, where the UK will maintain military operations for an initial period of 99 years.
US President Joe Biden praised the “historic agreement,” calling it a demonstration of how diplomacy and partnership can resolve long-standing historical challenges, leading to peaceful and beneficial outcomes. He emphasized the importance of the military base for national, regional, and global security.
The Chagossians themselves have varied opinions about their homeland’s future. Some are eager to return to the islands, while others prioritize their rights and status in the UK or believe that outsiders shouldn’t decide the archipelago’s fate. Isabelle Charlot expressed hope on BBC Radio 4 that the deal might enable her family to return to their ancestral home, saying it would provide them with a place to call home and where they could be free.
Conversely, Frankie Bontemps, a second-generation Chagossian living in the UK, expressed feelings of betrayal and anger, noting that Chagossians have been excluded from the negotiations and calling for their full inclusion in the treaty’s drafting.
In recent years, the UK has faced increasing diplomatic isolation regarding its claim to what it refers to as the British Indian Ocean Territory, with various UN bodies urging the UK to cede control, labeling it as “the last colony in Africa.” The Mauritian government has consistently claimed that it was unlawfully compelled to cede the Chagos Islands in exchange for its independence from the UK in 1968, at which time the British had already arranged a secret agreement with the US to lease Diego Garcia as a military base.
Britain later apologized for forcibly removing over 1,000 islanders from the archipelago, promising to return the islands once they were no longer needed for strategic purposes. Until recently, however, the UK maintained that Mauritius had no legitimate claim to the islands.
For decades, Mauritius struggled to garner significant international support on this issue, although a small number of Chagos islanders repeatedly took legal action against the British government. Recently, international sentiment began to shift as African nations united in their calls for decolonization, and Brexit left many European countries hesitant to support the UK’s position.
The Mauritian government intensified its efforts, accusing the UK of issuing verbal threats and launching a sophisticated campaign through the UN, courts, and media, even planting a flag on the archipelago without British permission.
Negotiations for the agreement began under the previous UK government, but the timing reflects a growing urgency in international affairs, particularly regarding Ukraine, as the UK seeks to remove the Chagos issue as an obstacle to securing greater support from African nations, especially with the possibility of a second Trump presidency looming.
While some voices in the UK may oppose the deal, successive Conservative and Labour prime ministers have aimed toward the same overall goal. Tory leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat criticized the agreement as against Britain’s interests, calling the initiation of talks under the previous Conservative government “disgraceful.” Former foreign secretary James Cleverly labeled the deal as “weak.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that while the deal could address historical wrongs against the Chagossians, it might perpetuate ongoing injustices without meaningful consultations with them. Clive Baldwin, a senior legal advisor at HRW, stated that the UK, US, and Mauritius would be responsible for “a still-ongoing colonial crime” if the Chagossians are not included.
Nonetheless, the significance of this moment is undeniable. More than fifty years after the UK relinquished control of nearly all its empire, it has finally agreed to transfer one of its last territories, albeit reluctantly, in a peaceful and lawful manner. The remaining British overseas territories include Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands, as well as two sovereign base areas in Cyprus.
Following the Chagos announcement, the governor of the Falklands reassured that the islands are secure under British control, stating, “The UK’s unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty [of the Falklands] remains undiminished.”
