Chagos Islands: Britain and Mauritius Push for Prompt Agreement

The planned new regulation of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands continues to take shape, with both the United Kingdom and Mauritius eager to expedite the conclusion of a treaty. This development follows statements by the new government in Mauritius, sowing doubts about the previous agreement. As early as October, the United Kingdom had agreed to transfer sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius. This move was intended to secure the future of the strategically important US-British military base on Diego Garcia. However, the formal establishment of the treaty is still pending. A recent meeting between the two countries resulted in a joint statement confirming the ongoing negotiations. The talks were described as productive and goal-oriented. Both governments expressed their intent to swiftly finalize the treaty to ensure the long-term safe and effective operation of the Diego Garcia base, while Mauritius gains sovereignty over the archipelago. While the agreement enjoys the support of US President Joe Biden, Marco Rubio, who was nominated for the position of Secretary of State by former President Donald Trump, expressed concerns that transferring the islands to Mauritius could threaten US security interests due to China's influence in the region. The history of the Chagos Islands remains contentious. When the islands remained under British control at the time of Mauritius's independence in the 1960s, around 2,000 Chagossians were forcibly relocated. Some of these displaced islanders have now expressed displeasure that they were not included in the recent decisions.