UK gives Chagos Island to Mauritius for military base

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Britain has agreed to give up sovereignty over the Indian Ocean island group to Mauritius in exchange for securing the future of the British-American military base at Diego Garcia.

The deal for the British Indian Ocean territory, also known as Chagos Island, gives Britain an initial 99-year lease on Diego Garcia in return for accepting Mauritian sovereignty.

Diego Garcia will also be excluded from island resettlement deals in Mauritius, which was depopulated when Britain forcibly relocated the island's residents decades ago.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the agreement secured a vital military base for the future and ensured the UK's long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner.

But the deal has come under attack from those vying for the leadership of Britain's opposition Conservative Party. The Conservatives began negotiations with Mauritius while they were in government.

Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said the deal was a shameful setback that undermines our security and exposes our allies.

The agreement follows 50 years of debate over the remote but strategically important archipelago of 58 islands located roughly halfway between East Africa and Indonesia. Britain divided the island into separate territories before Mauritius gained independence from Britain in 1968.

As part of the financial aid package, Britain will pay Mauritius indexed annual payments for the Diego Garcia base, which was originally leased to the United States in 1966, with the agreement extended until 2036.

The Diego Garcia base, which has been a launching pad for long-range bombers in US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, is considered a strategically important asset to both London and Washington.

Washington welcomed the deal, although the United States had previously argued that British sovereignty was essential to Diego Garcia's value as a strategic military base.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement, “I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of negotiations,” adding, “This agreement ensures the effective operation of the Diego Garcia Joint Facility for the next century.”

India, a regional power with close ties to Mauritius, also supported the deal.

The deal will be governed by a treaty that the UK and Mauritius have said they will finalize quickly. The two parties have been trying to announce an agreement ahead of Mauritius' elections next month.

About 2,000 residents of the largest atoll, Diego Garcia, were expelled in the 1960s when the colony was leased to the United States to build an air force base.

Islanders were forced to move to Mauritius and Seychelles, where many face poverty, and have since faced legal challenges trying to return home.

According to a joint statement from Starmer and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, the new treaty will demonstrate both sides' willingness to address past wrongs and support the welfare of the Chagossian people.

The statement said Mauritius would be able to start a resettlement program on the islands except Diego Garcia.

The UK will utilize the new trust fund for the benefit of the Chagossian people and provide other support separately, he added.

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But grassroots pressure group Chagossian Voices said Chagossians remain powerless and have no voice in determining our own future, confirming they learned about the deal through the media.

In recent years there has been growing diplomatic pressure on Britain to cede the island to Mauritius.

In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly supported a motion to return the island group by 116 votes to 6, with Britain's close allies France and Germany among the countries that abstained.

That same year, the International Court of Justice ruled that British sovereignty over the island should end as soon as possible.

British officials believe the deal does not set a precedent that remains in Britain's overseas territories with diverse characteristics, such as the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar.

Once confirmed by treaty, the transfer of sovereignty over Chagos Island will mean that the sun will no longer set on what remains of Britain's empire.

The sun rises on the archipelago just before setting on the British Pitcairn Islands, on the other side of the International Date Line in the Pacific.

After the Chagos Islands pass to Mauritius, the adage no longer applies, as the Pitcairn Islands fall into darkness long before dawn breaks over the British territories further west.

Additional reporting by John Reed

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