After years of contentious discussions, the UK has agreed to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, marking the end of its colonial control in Africa. This agreement allows the Chagossians, the native inhabitants who were forcefully removed from their homes by the UK during the 1960s and 1970s, to return. This removal process, considered a crime against humanity, is one of the darkest moments of post-war colonial territorial control.
However, the strategic island of Diego Garcia, which houses a joint military base of the UK and US, will remain under the UK’s jurisdiction. The UK had previously separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius during the latter’s independence in 1968 in order to establish this base, leading to the displacement of up to 2,000 individuals.
The Chagossian community reacted diversely to this development, with some expressing dissatisfaction over the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius. Olivier Bancoult, the chair of the Chagos Refugee Group and a deported Chagossian himself from childhood, nevertheless celebrated the announcement as a significant day.
For over four decades, the Chagossians have campaigned against the injustices they faced, with many of their community passing away during this struggle. According to Mr Bancoult, who has championed various legal cases over the islands’ sovereignty since 2000, it’s uncertain how many Chagossians wish to return due to the uninhabitable conditions of many islands. Although he acknowledged that those born in Diego Garcia would not have the opportunity to return, Bancoult expressed his hope for job prioritisation for Chagossians on the island.
Bancoult, who participated in a landmark visit to the islands in 2022 accompanied by the Mauritian ambassador to the United Nations, Jagdish Koonjul, reinforced that the voice of the Chagossians will be raised if Mauritius fails to uphold its responsibilities.
Talks surrounding the control of the island kicked off in 2022, marking a stark shift in policy from years of UK defiance towards international court verdicts, including a 2019 advisory judgement from the UN’s highest tribunal and a UN general assembly sanction, that unanimously demanded the return of the islands to Mauritius. Parties on both sides are set to finalise the terms of the agreement in a treaty, as soon as feasible.
Any endeavour to halt these discussions, particularly on the grounds that the native Chagossians weren’t given a say or involvement, was unsuccessful. Chagossian Voices, a community team representing Chagossians based across the UK and other nations, expressed their dismay at Thursday’s declaration: “Chagossian Voices deplore the exclusion of the Chagossian community from the negotiations that have led to this intention statement regarding the sovereignty of our native land. The outcome of this negotiation was communicated to the Chaggosians through the media, making us feel helpless and mute in shaping our own future and that of our motherland.
“The Chagossians, the original dwellers of the islands, have continuously and intentionally been sidelined and we insist on complete inclusion in the composition of the treaty.”
A joint communique from Mauritius and the UK governments claimed that the treaty would rectify historical injustices and substantiate both parties’ commitment to better the welfare of the Chagossians. The UK’s foreign secretary, David Lammy, remarked that the UK government has ensured the longevity of the military base. US president, Joe Biden, praised the agreement, asserting it as a solid example of how nations can overcome historical hurdles and achieve peaceful and mutually advantageous solutions.
Political support for the agreement, whilst hailed by Mr. Biden and initiated under a Conservative government, has been met with criticism from all four candidates vying for Conservative leadership, including James Cleverly, the then foreign secretary, who initially proposed the talks, with all candidates viewing the deal as detrimental to UK interests.
The situation at the Diego Garcia military base has advanced to a complex state owing to over 60 Tamil refugees hailing from South India, who had aimed to arrive in Canada but have for three years been living in uncertainty on the island. A ruling related to their potential unlawful detention on the island is awaited. Last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for the UK to provide comprehensive and unconditional reparations to those impacted by the forced removal of islanders, and expressed disappointment at the recent treaty.
Clive Baldwin, who serves as a senior legal counsel at Human Rights Watch (HRW), has expressed concern over the agreement that supposedly addresses the past injustices against the Chagossians. He warns that it appears that these wrongdoings might be perpetuated well into the future. Baldwin points out that the treaty does not ensure that the Chagossians will be able to return to their native lands and seemingly restricts them from the largest island, Diego Garcia, for another hundred years. It’s noticeable that the agreement fails to reference the compensation due to the Chagossians for building their future. Baldwin strongly believes that the upcoming treaty must incorporate their rights and that meaningful discussions with the Chagossians should be conducted. Failing to do so would make the UK, US and now Mauritius culpable of an ongoing colonial crime.