The new Labor Government of the United Kingdom has put an end to an international dispute that has been going on for half a century. The Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean will once again become part of the island nation of Mauritius. In exchange for the return of sovereignty, both London and Washington have secured future control, at least for 99 years, of the joint military base on Diego García Island, in the southern part of the archipelago.
For years, the base has had great strategic importance due to its location, which allowed control of one of the main maritime routes for hydrocarbons and raw materials. Today it is essential for the supervision of the illegal trafficking of human beings represented by the flows of irregular immigrants. The archipelago is made up of about 58 islands, halfway between the eastern coast of the African continent and Indonesia.
“The agreement reached ensures future control of this key military base; will serve to reinforce our role as guardians of global security; “It closes any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous route for illegal immigration to the United Kingdom and guarantees our long-term relations with Mauritius, a close partner of the Commonwealth,” said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Depopulation and secret pact
France ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in the Act of Capitulation of 1810. When Mauritius achieved its independence in 1965, London retained the archipelago, as part of what it called the British Indian Ocean Territory. The decision contravened current international law, which prohibited the breaking up of colonized territories before their return.
In the sixties of the last century, the United States set its sights on Diego García Island due to its strategic interest, as time has shown. During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many American and British long-range bombers took off from its military base.
Through a secret pact, never endorsed by the British Parliament, London put control of the island at the disposal of its ally in 1966 for a period of 50 years. At American demand, the British Government expelled the indigenous inhabitants of the archipelago, the Chagossians or Iloisabout 2,000 people, whom he prohibited from returning and sent to Mauritius and the Seychelles. Many of them faced a situation of poverty, and have been fighting ever since in court for their return.
In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of returning the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. Countries like France or Germany expressed their support by abstaining. The International Court of Justice ruled that same year that the United Kingdom should renounce sovereignty over the islands as soon as possible.
The US Administration has given its approval to an agreement that “addresses the mistakes of the past and demonstrates the commitment of both parties to the well-being of the Chagossians,” according to the text signed by Starmer and the head of the Government of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth. .
The United Kingdom has committed to an annual payment for the use of Diego García, in addition to providing financing for a fund to aid the Chagossians.
The agreement reached with Mauritius excludes Diego García Island from the possible repopulation of the rest of the archipelago.
Despite the fact that the negotiations for devolution began two years ago, and were initiated by the previous Conservative British Government, several candidates who aspire to lead the Conservative Party have shouted to the heavens at what they consider almost a betrayal of the Labor Government . “It is a shameful withdrawal that undermines our security and leaves our allies exposed. The Foreign Office has negotiated against the interests of the United Kingdom, and it is a shame that the negotiations began under our mandate,” Tom Tugendhat, president of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, ex-military and contender in the battle to be the new leader of the tories.
Mauritius maintains very close relations with both India and China.
The United Kingdom Foreign Office has been quick to point out the different nature of the Chagos Archipelago compared to other territories such as Gibraltar or the Falklands, meaning that the return would not represent any precedent with respect to these other historical territorial conflicts.
