U.K. to restore sovereignty of Chagos islands to Mauritius

India played a quiet but important role in the background, firmly backing Mauritian stance on the need to do away with the last vestiges of decolonisation, say sources

The United Kingdom and Mauritius have reached a historic political agreement to secure the strategically important U.K.-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia and towards restoring Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago. A treaty is now being worked out to firm up the agreement, the U.K. announced on Thursday (October 3, 2024).

“For the first time in more than 50 years, the status of the base will be undisputed and legally secure, following a political agreement between the U.K. and Mauritius,” the U.K. High Commission in India said in a statement. “It sees Mauritius assume sovereignty over British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), with the U.K. authorised to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius on Diego Garcia.”

The political agreement is subject to a treaty and supporting legal instruments being finalised and both sides have committed to complete this as quickly as possible, it said.

For an initial period of 99 years, the U.K. will be authorised to exercise with respect to Diego Garcia the sovereign rights and authorities of Mauritius required to ensure the continued operation of the base well into the next century, a joint statement from UK and Mauritius said.

“The treaty will address wrongs of the past and demonstrate the commitment of both parties to support the welfare of Chagossians,” the joint statement said. Mauritius will now be free to implement a programme of resettlement on the islands of the Chagos Archipelago, other than Diego Garcia, and the U.K. will capitalise a new trust fund, as well as separately provide other support, for the benefit of Chagossians.

Welcoming the agreement on the return of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said this “significant” understanding completes the “decolonisation” of Mauritius. “The resolution of the longstanding Chagos dispute after two years of negotiations, in compliance with international law, is a welcome development,” the MEA said in a statement.

India has consistently supported the Mauritian claim for sovereignty over Chagos, in line with its principled stand on decolonisation and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, as well as its longstanding and close partnership with Mauritius, the MEA noted. India remains committed to working with Mauritius and other like-minded partners in strengthening maritime safety and security and contributing to enhanced peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), it added.

Sources in the know said that India played a quiet but important role in the background firmly backing the principled Mauritian position, supporting its stance on the need to do away with the last vestiges of decolonisation. “At the same time, it consistently encouraged both sides to negotiate with an open mind and with a view to achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. It is believed that the final outcome is a win for all sides involved and will reinforce long term security in the IOR,” a government source said.

Negotiations for this agreement began under the previous government in 2022 and this week’s deal comes after 11 rounds of negotiations with the previous government and two rounds of negotiations with the current government.

Welcoming the deal between U.K. and Mauritius, U.K. High Commissioner in Indian Lindy Cameron said on the social media platform X, “This agreement enables deeper cooperation with India in the Indian Ocean, strengthening global security and averting threats to peace and prosperity in the wider Indo-Pacific.”

Diego Garcia hosts an important and strategic military base for the U.S. and U.K. and has been a dispute between Mauritius and U.K. for a long time and this agreement secures its continued long term operational and also close a “potential” illegal migration route.

The previous government started negotiations on the future of BIOT/Chagos Archipelago, but years after the negotiations began issues have remained unresolved, the statement said adding that it is strongly supported by international partners including the U.S., which has joint operation of the strategic military base, the U.K. said. “Without today’s agreement, the long-term, secure operation of the military base would be under threat, with contested sovereignty and legal challenges - including through various international courts and tribunals.”

Speaking about the agreement, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said their government inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat, with contested sovereignty and ongoing legal challenges. “Today’s agreement secures this vital military base for the future. It will strengthen our role in safeguarding global security, shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the U.K., as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner,” he said.

Diego Garcia has also seen a small number of vulnerable migrants arrive since 2021, subsequently launching asylum claims, the U.K. said. “The agreement will shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the U.K., with Mauritius taking responsibility for any future arrivals,” it added.

The joint statement acknowledged that in reaching the political agreement, they enjoyed the “full support and assistance” of their close partners, the U.S. and India.

Published - October 03, 2024 05:05 pm IST