Britain to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius ending years of dispute

The UK has consented to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, putting an end to a long-standing and contentious debate regarding Britain's final colony in Africa.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the UK forced the Chagossians out of their homeland, a move that many have labeled a crime against humanity. This occurred when the UK kept control of an area it referred to as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), following Mauritius' independence in 1968.

The deal comes after 13 rounds of talks that started in 2022, following the acknowledgment of Mauritius' claims to sovereignty by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN General Assembly, and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in 2019 and 2021.

It was determined that Britain had illegally detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius prior to the country's independence in 1968. The UK initially rejected United Nations resolutions and court decisions calling for the islands' return, arguing that the ruling from the International Court of Justice was merely an "advisory opinion."

As part of the deal revealed on Thursday, the UK will keep authority over the UK-US military facility located on Diego Garcia, one of the islands. The UK separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and removed between 1,500 and 2,000 residents to rent out Diego Garcia to the US for military purposes. Since then, both nations have managed the base together.

The Guardian has learned that the treaty will grant the right to return to all the islands in the Chagos archipelago, with the exception of Diego Garcia.

David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, stated that the British government has ensured the future of the military base while also solidifying its long-term partnership with Mauritius, an important ally within the Commonwealth.

President Joe Biden of the United States praised the agreement, stating that it is a "clear indication that different nations can overcome deep-rooted historical issues to achieve peaceful and advantageous results for all involved."

The campaign contesting British control over the Chagos archipelago featured the Mauritian ambassador to the UN, Jagdish Koonjul, who hoisted his nation's flag over Peros Banhos during a ceremony in February 2022. This event marked the first time Mauritius had taken the lead on an expedition to the area since the forced removals.

Chagossians have different opinions on what justice should mean for them, including their ideas about the future of the islands. While some are committed to claiming their right to return, others think that only around 50 individuals would actually make the journey back.

A lot of Chagossians sought the ability to decide their own future, worried that their cultural identity would vanish if control of the islands shifted to Mauritius, a country that does not acknowledge the islands as a separate territory.

An effort to stop the negotiations because the Chagossians weren't consulted or included did not succeed.

Chagossian Voices, a group representing Chagossians in the UK and other nations, criticized the UK government for not consulting them prior to the announcement made on Thursday.

The Chagossian community expresses strong disappointment over being left out of the discussions that led to this declaration about the sovereignty of their homeland. They found out about the results through the news and feel helpless and unheard when it comes to shaping their own future and that of their land. The opinions of Chagossians, who are the original residents of the islands, have continually been overlooked, and they insist on having a complete role in crafting the treaty.

Some Chagossians have been concentrating on their rights and position in the UK. In 2022, the Home Office announced that the descendants of islanders who were forcibly removed would soon have the opportunity to apply for British citizenship.

In a report released last year, Human Rights Watch urged the UK to provide complete and unrestricted reparations to the generations impacted by the forced removal of Chagos Islands residents during the 1960s and 70s. They labeled this act as "a despicable colonial crime" and a violation against humanity committed by both the UK and the US.

Three out of the four contenders in the Conservative leadership race expressed their disapproval of the choice to hand the islands back to Mauritius, despite the fact that the discussions started while the Conservative party was in power.

Negotiations took place over 11 sessions with the former government, and there have been two with the current Labour administration. Jonathan Powell, who was Tony Blair's chief of staff, was appointed last month to lead these discussions.

The UK government announced that the political agreement will rely on a treaty and additional legal documents that need to be completed. Both parties have pledged to finalize these as swiftly as they can.