UK’s ouster from Chagos Islands a ‘victory’ for Mauritius

Indians have been delighted that the UK will finally vacate and hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. After all 70 % of Mauritius people are of Indian origin and many maintain close family ties in India.

That sense finally prevailed in the Brits, with lots of encouragement from India, and as such, the move represented a “significant victory” in the long battle to “repair a grave injustice”.

Under the terms of a treaty signed in May, Mauritius will gain sovereignty of the islands from the UK, but allow the US and UK to continue operating a military base on one of the islands, Diego Garcia, for an initial period of 99 years.

Now everyone hopes that Mauritian authorities would ensure the refugees are able to return home. UK opposition leaders though have criticised the deal.

Probably they wish that Britain should have been forcibly kicked out from there.

What is the Chagos Islands deal?

Now time has changed and Asian countries will have to be respected by the ex colonizers in their identity and rights, in particular the right to live on their land – and no one can force them into exile.

A UK government spokesperson said the military base on Diego Garcia was “essential” to the security of the UK and its allies. Well this too will have to be reviewed a few years down the line.

Presently this deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base, with provisions for keeping its existing capabilities intact.

The UK “purchased “ the islands for £3m in 1968, but Mauritius has argued it was illegally forced to give away the islands in order to gain independence from the UK.

The islands were then cleared to make way for a UK-US armed forces base with large groups of Chagossians moving to Mauritius and the Seychelles, or taking up an invitation to settle in England, mainly in Crawley, West Sussex.

In May, the government said it would pay Mauritius an average of £101m a year for 99 years under the terms of the agreement.

The deal sets a 24-mile buffer around Diego Garcia, where nothing can be built without UK consent.

Foreign military and civilian forces will also be barred from other islands in the archipelago, with the UK retaining a power to veto any access to the islands.

The treaty will come into effect only after it is approved by both the UK and Mauritian parliaments.

When the deal was struck, the Conservatives described it as “an act of national self-harm”, which left the UK “more exposed to China” because of its ties with Mauritius. The Brits should be aware that Chinese Navy is just in no position to challenge the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean Region.

The prime minister insisted that the deal was imperative to maintaining the UK’s national security.

“If we did not agree this deal the legal situation would mean that we would not be able to prevent China or any other nation setting up their own bases on the outer islands or carrying out joint exercises near our base,” Sir Keir Starmer said.

“No responsible government could let that happen.”

The agreement was welcomed by Mauritian Attorney General Gavin Glover, who told the BBC in May: “Our country is elated that this 60-year struggle is finally over.”