The United Kingdom have announced that an agreement had been reached to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending decades of disputes and negotiations on who has claim on the islands. India has consistently backed Mauritius’ claims and in a historic agreement, have now managed to play a crucial role in the resolution of the dispute.
The Chagos Islands is a group of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of the Maldives archipelago. The region is especially important as it serves a crucial strategic purpose, due to which several countries have been vying for control over the islands. It has a geopolitical importance as it can be used as a base for operations in the Indian Ocean, near Africa as well as in the middle east.
Britain’s control over the Islands
Britain, which has controlled the region since 1814, detached the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius – a former colony that became independent three years later. Before granting independence to Mauritius in 1968, Britain was found to have unlawfully separated it to form a new colony on the Chagos archipelago named the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
In the early 1970s, Britain evicted almost 2,000 residents to Mauritius and the Seychelles to make way for an airbase on Diego Garcia, the largest island, which it had leased to the United States in 1966.
A non-binding resolution in the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 said Britain should give up control of the archipelago after wrongfully forcing the population to leave. In 2016, Britain’s Foreign Ministry extended Diego Garcia’s lease until 2036, and declared the expelled islanders would not be allowed to go back.
In splitting the islands from Mauritius, the UK expelled between 1,500 and 2,000 islanders so that it could lease Diego Garcia, to the United States for military use which the two allies have since operated jointly. The UK had initially dismissed UN rulings and court judgements demanding it return the islands to Mauritius, arguing that the ICJ ruling was merely an advisory opinion.
The New Agreement on Chagos
“Following two years of negotiation, this is a seminal moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law,” said a joint UK-Mauritius statement.
It added, “Negotiations have been conducted in a constructive and respectful manner, as equal sovereign States, on the basis of international law, and with the intention of resolving all outstanding issues between the United Kingdom and Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, including those relating to its former inhabitants.”
This follows a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which Mauritius won the sovereignty of Chagos atoll and denounced UK’s control over the place. The ICJ had also slammed the UK for forcing the local population of Chagossians to vacate the place so that the US can build a military base there.
Mauritius can now initiate the process of resettlement of Chagossians, who were forced to relocate from there. But they will not be allowed to go back to Diego Garcia. The UK will also be helping in the process by way of creation of a trust fund.
Under the new agreement, the UK will still retain control of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said the UK government had secured the future of the military base “as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner”.
India’s Role in the Resolution
The UK and Mauritius in a statement have said that India has played a quiet yet significant background role in the transfer of sovereignty. “In reaching today’s political agreement, we have enjoyed the full support and assistance of our close partners, the United States of America and the Republic of India,” the joint statement read. India have been supporting Mauritius’ claim on Chagos Island and held that it is needed to do away with the last vestiges of decolonisation.
According to the joint statement, in resolving all outstanding issues between the UK and Mauritius, the treaty will open a new chapter in our shared history, one which will continue to be based on mutual respect and trust as close Commonwealth partners committed to the security and prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region.
“In reaching today’s political agreement, we have enjoyed the full support and assistance of our close partners, the United States of America and the Republic of India,” it said.
“India played a quiet but important role in the background. It firmly backed the principled Mauritian position, supporting its stance on the need to do away with the last vestiges of decolonisation,” said an official source.
The source also said, “India 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 Indian Ocean region.”
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on Friday thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for completing the decolonisation, a day after the UK government announced to hand over sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to the country.
Jugnauth took to X to thank Modi as he wrote, “Mauritius thanks the African Union @AfricanUnion, the Government of India @narendramodi and all friendly countries which have supported us in our fight for completing our decolonisation.”
Response from the UK and USA
UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy claimed that the deal will not only ensure global security but also strengthen the ties between Mauritius and the UK, “This 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.”
He added, “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 UK, as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner.”
Lauding the deal, US President Joe Biden described the pact as a “historic settlement.” “It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes,” he said in a White House statement.
The US government is currently in control of the Diego Garcia base for its warships and bomber aircraft. The base also played a crucial role during US military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The resolution is a major geopolitical move that will make this region a hotspot for global players vying to assume power in the Indian Ocean region. China has been intent on establishing its network in the region especially in the countries surrounding India, in its efforts towards its ‘String of Pearls’ project aimed to curtail Indian influence. While this time India has stolen a march over it rivals, negotiating a deal with the US and UK India has managed to ward off Chinese influence and cement its links with the western powers to sucessfully counter China.
