The United Kingdom has announced that it is giving up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal that will allow people who were displaced decades ago to return home. This deal includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, which is used by the United States as a military base. The agreement also allows Mauritius to resettle the rest of the islands after its population was displaced in the 1970s.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy stated that the agreement secures the vital military base on Diego Garcia for the future, strengthening the UK’s role in safeguarding global security. The UK had controlled the region since 1814 and detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius in 1965 to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. Almost 2,000 residents were evicted in the early 1970s to make way for a US airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that Britain should give up control of the islands and that it had wrongfully forced the population to leave in the 1970s. The political agreement between the UK and Mauritius has the support and assistance of the US and India.
This deal marks a significant step towards rectifying the injustices of the past and allowing the displaced people of Chagos Islands to return home. It also ensures the continued operation of the strategic military base on Diego Garcia. More details on this historic agreement are expected to be revealed in the coming days.
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