UK agrees to give sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
(VOVWORLD) - Britain on Thursday said it will give up sovereignty over a remote Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but will maintain there a strategic military base that it shares with the United States on the atoll of Diego Garcia.
 Chagos Islands (Photo: Reuteurs) |
According to Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, 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 UK and Mauritius.
"It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes," US President Joe Biden said in a White House statement.
Britain decided in 1965 to separate the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and set up a military base there, which it leased to the United States. After gaining independence in 1968, Mauritius claimed sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. Agreement to hand back UK's last African colony follows 13 rounds of negotiations and international pressure.
In 2019, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a motion for the return of the island group. The same year, the International Court of Justice ruled that the UK’s sovereignty over the islands should end as quickly as possible.
Negotiations regarding the future of the Chagos Archipelago began in 2022.